The Elder Scrolls: The Arc's Shout
by Izlawake
Summary: When Team JNPR are mysteriously whisked away to another world, they discover that Jaune is somehow a Dragonborn and that it is his destiny to vanquish the ancient evil creatures that threaten both the worlds of Tamriel and Remnant. To do so, he must master the Thu'um and become the warrior he has always dreamed of becoming.
1. The Hero's Arrival

A/N: Just a note, a number of things, including dialogue will be changed to give a better experience and so JNPR's tale through the land of Skyrim is less like the game.

**The Elder Scrolls: The Arc's Shout**

**Chapter: The Hero's Arrival**

The Elder Scrolls foretold the return of the World Eater, Alduin, and the rest of the dragons, whom will consume the world of Tamriel. Five important events that occurred in the past mark Alduin's return. The first was the shattering of the Staff of Chaos. The second was the destruction of the Golem Numidium. The third was the eruption of the Red Mountain. The fourth event was the Oblivion War, when the gates were slammed shut by Martin Septim, ending his bloodline with his sacrifice forever. The final event is when all of Skyrim erupt in Civil War with each other, one side being the Stormcloaks composed of the Nords, and the Cyrodill Empire.

This is when Alduin makes his return, but there is one who who can stop him: the Dragonborn, a mortal who is born with the soul of a Dragon and capable of fighting them on another level. Sadly, the line of incredible men died out long ago, but the Elder Scrolls speak of the last Dragonborn who will rise and defeat Alduin. As for when it will happen, only time will tell…

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

In the kingdom of Vale, at Beacon Academy, Jaune Arc sat on his bed reading a fantasy novel involving brave heroes and fierce monsters. Pyrrha was on her own bed reading one of her favorite issues of "X-Ray &amp; Vav," Nora was polishing her Magnhild, and Ren was having a light nap on his bed. Jaune was feeling particularly bored this lazy Sunday afternoon, and he longed for something fun to do with his teammates.

"How about we all go somewhere today to have some fun?" Jaune said to everyone. Pyrrha and Nora glance at him, questioning his decision. Ren, hearing his leader's voice, snapped from his nap, rubbing his eyes and feeling a little irritated at the disturbance.

"Sounds like a great idea, Jaune," Pyrrha remarked. Pyrrha almost always agreed with Jaune unless it sounded like a really bad idea.

"We can go see that new movie in theaters," Nora suggested.

"We are not going to watch a horror movie," Ren groaned. "At least no this early."

"Well, there's the new Scruce Willis movie out right now," said Jaune. "I think it was Die Easy 5, yeah."

"I'm up for that." Pyrrha agreed.

They all dressed in their casual clothes and headed out. Out in the city of Vale, things were normal as ever. "So, has anyone watched the previous Die Easy movies?" Ren asked.

"I saw the first three, didn't like the fourth so much," Jaune admitted.

"I only saw the first," said Pyrrha.

"I've seen none of them," said Nora.

"Well, it's not like you need to see the first four to watch the fifth."

Ren let out a sigh. "I swear, they need to start making more original films."

Team JNPR walked past a lonely alley, not noticing the three figures inside, peeking out at them as they pass. "Is that the one?" one hissed.

"Yes," hissed another. "I can taste his soul leeching from his body." He drew a dagger from his belt and the other two followed suit as they followed after JNPR.

JNPR continued on their way for a while, turning a corner with the movie theater a block away. Pyrrha drew everyone close to her without making it noticeable. "Someone is following us," she whispered. "When we turn the next corner, we take them by surprise." Everyone nodded and continued walking, acting natural.

Upon turning the next corner, the teens planted themselves against the wall and waited. The three stalkers approached the corner and were grabbed by Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora. Jaune forced the dagger out of one of their hands and put him in a headlock. "Why are you following us?" he demanded. The stalker refused to talk, but Jaune squeezed his neck tighter. "TALK!"

"Lord Alduin sent us here to find you, Jaune Arc," the stalker spoke.

"Alduin?"

The stalkers all grinned. They all suddenly shouted a word that the teens could not understand, but they were suddenly hit with some kind of force, knocking them backwards and releasing their grips on their captives. They each pulled a vial of strange liquid from their belts and tossed it onto the ground in front of Team JNPR. Strange, blue-colored portals appeared and before they knew what was happening, all of them were sucked inside and the portals disappeared, leaving none of the seven behind. No one who witnessed this had an inkling of what had happened.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

When Team JNPR came to, they found themselves shivering on a snowy mountain pass. The three men that attacked them were lying nearby, but they were about to come to as well. Not knowing where they were, they all scrambled to their feet and braced themselves for a fight.

One ran at Pyrrha with his dagger, but he telegraphed his stab too early and she simply dodged it, then snatched the blade from and dug it into his back, sending him down to the ground. Ren swatted one's arms aside then kicked him square in the chest, sending him down to the ground followed with a punch to the face, putting him out. Jaune was wrestling with the final stalker, trying to keep the dagger from his face. The stalker pushed him to the ground then threw himself onto the teen. With some quick thinking, Jaune threw his legs up, catching the man and then propelled him over him, sending him screaming down the cliffside. CRACK! The four teens dashed to the cliffside to find the man lying motionless in the snow amidst the large rocks.

"That takes care of that," Nora remarked. "But where are we?" She jumped up onto a boulder and stared all around her, seeing only beautiful mountains and green plains. "I have no idea where we are, it's like we left Vale altogether."

Pyrrha shivered since she was wearing a skirt, stockings, a light t-shirt, a jacket, and walking shoes for clothes. Everyone was a little chilled, but she felt the worst. "We should head north for those plains, it should be a little warm there."

Keeping the sun on their right, the four teens headed north, with Ren leading them along a pathway. After a while of walking, Ren threw up his hand to signal everyone to stop. He scanned the surrounding area, but saw nothing. Pyrrha, however, put her ear to the ground and listened carefully.

"I can hear horses," she said to the others. "At least a dozen, and there's maybe over twenty men. They're off to our left coming in towards us."

"Maybe they can help us," Jaune noted.

"Or maybe they might kill us," Ren told him. "We have no idea where we are, or what kind of people or creatures we will encounter; it'd be best if we stay out of sight."

"But they might be able to help us or give us some warmer clothes to wear," Jaune argued. "If we just let them pass, we might freeze to death out here."

"I have to side with Jaune on this, Ren," Nora said to him.

The team ran west towards the approaching caravan, waving their arms up and yelling for them to stop. They eventually caught their attention, but when they drew near the front of the caravan, they were tackled to the ground by blue-clad soldiers and blades were put to their necks. "Wait, we don't want to hurt you guys!" Jaune let out.

"Let them stand," said the leader, a burly man wearing fur on his shoulders. "Get them some warm furs to wear with those…clothes of theirs."

The soldiers released JNPR and gave them some fur coats, pants, and boots from the back of a wagon. They wasted no time in dressing themselves and expressed their thanks to the leader. "My name is Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King of Skyrim."

"Skyrim? Is that the name of this land?" Pyrrha asked.

"You must be newcomers then, though it is odd that you do not even know the name of one of Tamriel's provinces."

"We came from the Kingdom of Vale from the land of Remnant," Jaune explained.

"I have never heard of such a place. You are all welcome to come with us on our jounrey to Windhelm, my city, until you wish to take your leave."

"Thank you, Jarl Ulfric." The four teens gave a bow and walked alongside the caravan. One of the soldiers offered them weapons in case they were attacked by wild animals; Jaune took a longsword and shield, Pyrrha took a longsword, Nora a warhammer, and Ren a short sword and a dagger. They were shocked to find that they all carried primitive weapons compared to their own back home. The only range weapons they carried were throwing knives, throwing axes, and bows.

They walked on for what seemed like hours until they stopped near the edge of the snowy area, with green fields and trees off in the distance. "The town of Helgen is a about six miles from here. It is under control of the Empire, so we will divert to the east and go from there."

They set off towards the east and were only on the road for about twenty minutes when one of the scouts reported back. "I think there's something out there," he told Ulfric. "I think we may be being wa–" He did not finish his sentence when an arrow sped through the air and struck him in the neck, killing him instantly.

Imperial soldiers clad in red iron armor sprang from either side of the caravan, rushing towards them with weapons raised. "We're surrounded!" Ulfric shouted, drawing his sword. "Fight them off!" Stormcloak soldiers drew their weapons, let out a battlecry, and charged at the enemy.

Jaune was more worried for his friends than anything. He bashed one soldier with his shield, then stabbed another in the chest with his sword, noting how these people do not seem to have Aura to protect themselves. He found Pyrrha fighting off three Imperial soldiers on her own. She ducked under the battleaxe of one soldier and slashed his chest, then kicked another down to the ground. Jaune jumped in and rammed his blade through the last soldier before she could bring her hand axe down onto Pyrrha. They ran off down the caravan, cutting down any Imperial soldier that crossed their path. They found Nora bashing Imperial skulls in and Ren was holding his own against four Imperials, utilizing his Semblance to catch them off guard.

"What should we do?" Ren asked Jaune after they helped him out.

"We should help drive off these soldiers, first of all."

They broke off and went in different directions to fight. Pyrrha went to the rear of the caravan to defend it, Jaune ran to the front to assist with Ulfric, and Ren and Nora went to the center. Up front, Jaune, and one soldier by the name of Ralof sided with Ulfric against a circle of soldiers.

"Still alive, boy?" Ulfric remarked.

"I've been training to be a warrior since I was young, Sir. I won't give up now," Jaune threw back at him.

Two soldiers came at Jaune, but he bashed one with his shield, then decapitated the other. With the final one still dazed, Jaune stabbed him in the heart. When he looked back, five soldiers laid dead at Ulfric and Ralof's feet. They continued fighting on.

Pyrrha sweep kicked one soldier and drove her blade into him, then blocked two sword strikes and stabbed the wielder. She glanced over at Jaune, who was beginning to become overtaken. "JAUNE!" she screamed. Then she suffered a blow to the back of the head and fell to the ground unconscious. Ren ran to her side and fought off the attacker but was soon knocked out as well. Nora soon followed the same fate as well when she was knocked out as well.

Jaune fought with all his might, but he knew this was a losing battle. Ralof was dragged down and knocked out, then Ulfric followed. Two soldiers grabbed his arms, wrestling his sword and shield from him, then a strange soldier wearing light green-yellow armor and wielding a greenish-looking blade, a blade that looked like it was adorned with leaves. He wore no helmet, allowing Jaune to see his slanted eyes and pointy ears. The strange soldier smirked and punched Jaune, knocking him out.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

When Jaune came to, he was seated in a horse-drawn cart. Across from him was Ralof with his head down, a man wearing prisoner rags next to him, and Ulfric directly next to Jaune with his mouth gagged with a rag. Jaune shook his head to clear himself and Ralof was looking at him.

"Ah, you're finally awake," he said. "I was beginning to worry."

"What happened?" Jaune asked.

"We will ambushed by Imperial soldiers and the Thalmor; damn Elves," he explained. "Your friends are in the cart behind us."

Jaune cranked his head back and saw Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren in another cart with a couple Stormcloaks. Their clothes were shredded, dyed with blood, and dirty, much like his own. They looked relieved to see that he was alright though. He looked forward to see a full cart of Stormcloaks being lead by an Imperial soldier wearing fine general-styled armor. A number of Imperial soldiers walked on either side of the carts, making sure the prisoners cannot escape. A number of the Thalmor rode alongside the Imperial general, who Ralof called Tullius.

"What's going to happen to us?" asked the horse thief named Lokir, whom the Imperials caught after the ambush, as they neared the gates of Helgen.

"I don't know," Ralof answered with no heart. "but Sovngarde awaits." That did not sound good to Jaune, who did not know what this "Sovngarde" was, but he did not want to know about it. The caravan was lead through the gates and taken around, where they were watched by the townsfolk.

"Ah, this is Helgen," Ralof said aloud to no one. "I used to be sweet on a girl from here. I wonder if that one fellow still makes the mead with juniper berries mixed in." Jaune began to feel a little thirsty. The carts stopped near a stone wall with an open arch doorway. Nearby, a large, masked man with an even larger axe was standing near an iron block. The Stormcloaks in the first cart began descending down to the ground. A female Imperial captain in steel armor and a regular male soldier in padded leather Imperial armor stood a short distance away; the male had a list and a quill pen.

"Why are we stopping?" stuttered the thief.

"Why do you think? End of the line." Everyone filed out of the carts and waited as the male Imperial called out their name, where they moved off the side where more Imperials were to keep them there. Jaune realized too late what was going to happen to them. He bit his lip and looked at his friends; they were equally scared like him.

"Jarl Ulfric of Windhelm," the man, named Hadvar, called. Ulfric moved out to the sidelines.

"It's been an honor, Jarl Ulfric," Ralof called out to him. Ulfric shot him a nod of approval.

"Ralof of Riverwood." Ralof left Jaune's side. He looked over to his teammates and saw them alone with one other Stormcloak soldier.

Hadvar called out Lokir's name now. "No, I'm not a rebel!" he cried. Hadvar and the female captain only stared at him before he suddenly took off. The captain ordered him to halt, but he kept running. "You're not going to kill me!"

"Archers!" the captain ordered. An arrow zipped through the air and hit the thief in the neck, sending him dead to the ground. An Elven archer trotted over to the captain.

"Nice eyes, Thalmor," the captain complimented. "The same will go to anyone else who tries running." The brown-haired Elf glared at all of them with his sharp green eyes.

"Wait, who are you?" Hadvar asked to Jaune. "Come on, step forward." Jaune stepped forward in front of Hadvar and the captain.

"You don't look like a rebel, what's your name?"

"I'm Jaune Arc from the kingdom of Vale. I am a warrior and Hunstmen-in-training, currently enrolled at Beacon Academy with my teammates Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, and Lie Ren. We are not rebels, we were traveling with the Stormcloak caravan for protection and wares as we…" Jaune cut himself off, knowing that Hadvar would definitely not believe a word he said after that.

"I have never heard of a place called Vale or Beacon. And a Huntsmen? Is that some kind of animal hunter of sorts?" Hadvar looked at the three Jaune mentioned, then back to his list. "Captain, they're not on the list, what should we do?"

"Never mind the list, they all go the chopping block with the rest," the captain answered, shocking Team JNPR.

"But captain–"

"That's an order! These four youths murdered a number of our soldiers. They should be glad they're getting this instead of a more painful death to compensate for our losses."

Hadvar let out a sigh, then turned to Jaune. "I'm sorry, Jaune Arc. We will make sure your remains and your friends' are safely returned to Vale, wherever that may be. Move to the side with the others." The look in Hadvar's eyes told Jaune that he was deeply sorry for their fate.

"No, we're not rebels!" Jaune yelled at the captain, lashing at her. Two soldiers grabbed his arms to keep him at bay. One of them punched him in the gut, sending him to his knees.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha yelled, taking a step towards him, but an Imperial soldier barred her off, forcing her to stand down. The four teens were moved to the sideline with the other Stormcloaks. Pyrrha went next to Jaune, who was still breathing hard from the hit. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," he answered, but that was a lie. Deep down, he was scared about what was going to happen to them.

"Give them all their last rites," the captain said to a yellow-clothed priest. The priest began speaking a series of religious verses, clearly made for the soon-to-be departed. She had barely spoke for a minute when one Stormcloak moved forward.

"For the love of Talos, shut up, and let's get this over with!" he barked. The priest fell silent and huffed at him. He moved to the block where he was lowered to his knees and his head placed on the block. "My ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials. Can you do the same?" he spoke with pride. The executioner raised his axe high and brought it down. Jaune and company winced and looked the other way as a loud THUNK rang out, sending the man's head into a basket. The basket was taken way and returned empty.

"As fearless as he was in death as he was in life," Ralof said with a sigh.

"Next, the traitor from Vale or wherever! After that, the redheaded Imperial, then the orange-haired and raven-haired Bretons who are associated with him!" the captain declared, signifying Team JNPR.

"To the block, prisoner, nice and easy," Hadvar told Jaune. Jaune took a long sigh and stepped forward, then froze when a loug roar echoed across the sky, making everyone look up. "What was that?"

"It was nothing," said the captain. "Move, Imperial traitor!"

"I'm not an Imperial," Jaune declared. "I'm a warrior of Vale!" The captain grew impatient and drew her sword, ready to gut Jaune, but Hadvar stopped her.

"Save him for the block, captain," he whispered to her. "Go, lad, and may the Divines smile upon you."

Jaune nodded to him and took another step, but then Pyrrha came up behind him and spun him around. She reached up and kissed his cheek, looking into his eyes with tears. She had no words left to say and went back to the others, where the three watched with silence. Jaune exhaled and went to the block. He was pushed down. He stared to his left at the executioner and braced for death.

The loud roar was heard again, and Jaune opened his eyes to see a large creature flying overhead. "What in Oblivion is that?!" cried General Tullius.

"Sentries, what do you see?" the captain ordered. The large creature flew back and landed on the nearby tower, sending a shockwave so strong it knocked the executioner to the ground. Jaune jumped from the block onto his back, scrambling from fear. He was staring face to face with a large dragon!

"Dragon!" screamed a Stormcloak. The dragon glared at everyone with slanted eyes and let out a mighty shout in its native tongue, causing the sky to turn a dark color as clouds rolled in. It let out a different shout this time, one that sent a shockwave outward, knocking down anyone in its path. Jaune was thrown onto his back where he laid dazed.

"Hey, get up!" yelled Ralof's voice. Jaune got to his feet to find Ralof before him. "Come on, the Gods won't give us another chance!"

"Wait, my friends!" Jaune argued.

"Don't worry, a few others took them with them inside a building! Concern yourself for now!" With not much else to do, Jaune ran after Ralof into a sentry tower, where two wounded Stormcloaks and Ulfric were.

"Jarl Ulfric, that was a dragon!" Ralof told him.

"No time to be amazed, Ralof. I want you and Jaune here to find us a way to escape; head up the tower to Erendar."

"Here, Jaune." Ralof took a dagger to his bounds and freed Jaune. "Now let us go."

They ran up the tower stairs where they found the forementioned friend. Before they got close, the stone wall shattered to pieces by the dragon, crushing Erendar. Jaune tugged Ralof by the collar and yanked back, pulling them both down the steps, but out of the dragon's fiery breath attack, which roasted anyone up the stairs. The dragon departed, leaving them an opening.

"See the inn right there," Ralof told Jaune, pointing to the exposed room in the inn's roof. "Head through there, I'll meet up with your friends a little later. Go!" Jaune nodded and dove out the opened way, landing with a roll into the deserted inn room. He dropped through an opening in the floor and headed out where an old man and Hadvar were. He watched as Hadvar ran out into the open, scooped up a young child, and dove back to safety just as the dragon unleashed a breath of fire in the area.

"Ah, you're still alive, prisoner," Hadvar said to Jaune. "Keep close to me if you want to stay that way." The old man and the child retreated inside a stone tower for safety, leaving Hadvar and Jaune all alone. "Follow me, and I'll make sure you leave here alive."

Jaune followed after Hadvar closely in and around the burned husks of buildings, passing the charred remains of the dead in the streets with soldiers and mages around them attacking the dragon to no avail. They found the barracks, and when they ran out into the open, they ran into Ralof with Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren, all safe and sound.

"Ralof!" Hadvar growled. "Stay out of my way, you damn traitor!"

"We're escaping, Hadvar, and there's nothing you can do to stop us!" he told him.

"Fine, I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde! Come with me, Jaune!"

Jaune was conflicted about who to go with; he knew his teammates would follow him no matter what, but Jaune did not know who to trust more: Hadvar or Ralof. Ralof extended his hand to Jaune, but he was hesitant. Knowing he had little time, Jaune refused the offer.

"I'm sorry, Ralof," said Jaune. "Thank you for everything, but if my teammates and I are to survive, we will need some help from a soldier of the Empire and not some rebels. Forgive me."

"I understand, lad. May Talos watch over the four of you, and may we never see each other on opposite sides of the battlefield." Slapping their hands together in a handshake, Ralof then ran into a different door of the barracks, leaving Team JNPR to go with Hadvar, who was waiting for them.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Inside the barracks, Hadvar went through the chests looking for new clothes, armor, and some weapons for his new comrades. He threw them each sets of tunics, some light Imperial armor, and light Imperial boots. "I know it's not much, but compared to the rags you all are wearing, it's an improvement." He looked away to give the girls some decent privacy while they changed. After that, they went through the weapon racks. Jaune took an iron sword with scabbard, an iron shield, and a steel dagger. Pyrrha grabbed an iron shield, an iron sword, and a javelin for herself. Nora grabbed a steel warhammer, and Ren took two iron daggers, some throwing knives, and two steel short, curved swords for himself. They each grabbed packs and stuffed them with whatever was lying around, including gold, food, strips of cloth, and a couple books.

"Alright, we will need to be careful from here out," Hadvar warned, pulling a chain switch that lifted a nearby gate. Everyone drew their weapons and prepared for whatever danger was ahead. They all walked down the cramped corridor and came upon another gate, with a circular room beyond it with three Stormcloaks inside. "We should try to negotiate with them."

Ren pulled the chain switch and the gate lifted. Everyone moved inside and the Stormcloaks noticed them. "Wait, we don't want–" Hadvar started, but one of them with a battleaxe charged at him. "For the Nords!" the Stormcloak yelled.

Team JNPR knew they had no choice but to fight now. Jaune rushed forward and his shield took the beating of the batleaxe for Hadvar. He threw the battleaxe back with his shield and swung his sword, cutting through flesh. Ren ran at the second Stormcloak, swinging his short blades with lightning speed, sending him down with his friend and Hadvar worked to kill the last one.

"You four are no ordinary youths, are you?" Hadvar asked. "I've never seen such fighting like that before."

"We've all been training to fight since we were young to become Huntsmen back home," Pyrrha explained. "We are much stronger than you think, Hadvar."

"I can see that. C'mon, we better keep moving." Hadvar lead them down a spiraling staircase and into another corridor. At the other end, they could see some figures, but they could not tell right away if they were friendly or not. Before they could get close enough, the ceiling caved in, crushing the soldiers underneath. Team JNPR and Hadvar stumbled, but regained their compose. "Damn, that dragon doesn't let up, does he?"

"How can a dragon be here?" Jaune asked. "I thought they were just in stories."

"They should be. Well, I guess not anymore." Hadvar cracked open the door leading to a cooking area. Inside, there were four Stormcloaks, one of them a big fella with a warhammer.

"Nora, take care of the big guy, we will handle the others," Jaune told them. They threw the door open and rushed in, taking the Stormcloaks by suprise. Nora brought her warhammer down onto the big soldier, but he was fast and blocked it with his weapon, but Nora was faster. She spun around and brought her hammer upward into the soldier's family jewels, making him keel over, then she whacked him in the side and he went down.

Jaune and Hadvar went against a Stormcloak wielding a sword and shield. Hadvar caught his attention with his sword, leaving Jaune open to strike him down. Pyrrha made short work of her own targets and they moved on until Ren spotted a vial of green liquid. "What is this?" he said aloud, bringing it up to his face.

"That's a potion of stamina," Hadvar explained. "Drink that and you will get a burst of stamina. Look around for any healing or magicka potions as well."

"It's like we just jumped into one of my RPGs," Jaune commented, shifting through a barrel and finding a few red healing potions. Pyrrha and Nora found a couple blue magicka and green stamina potions as well. When they finished collecting, they continued on, where they came across the dungeon.

"I wish we never needed this place," Hadvar mumbled under his breath. When they descended the stairs, they found the torturer and his assistant being attacked by Stormcloaks. Everyone ran out and aided their comrades. When the fighting ended, everyone took a quick breather while Hadvar spoke with the two men about the dragon.

"A dragon? Don't be ridiculous!" chuckled the torturer.

"He's serious!" Pyrrha argued. "There's an actual dragon flying around out there!"

"Look, I don't care. I suggest you all continue on; there's a hidden tunnel that can lead you outside of Helgen."

"I'll go with you," said the assistant. He went over to a weapon's rack and took an axe for himself. Jaune went looking in the barred office at the shelves for anything useful. He finds an interesting book labelled "The Book of the Dragonborn," and decided to pocket it. The six party members moved down the corridor, passing the skeletal remains of previous prisoners in cells, and moved into an open area with a running river and at least ten Stormcloaks.

Everyone drew their weapons and moved ahead. Ren pulled a knife from his belt and gave it a flick, where it burrowed into the face of a charging Stormcloak. Nora ran forward, clearing a path for her friends. Jaune blocked an axe strike and stabbed the owner in the gut and moved on.

"Shields forward!" Jaune shouted. Him, Pyrrha, and Hadvar took lead and shielded everyone from the archers on the other side of the room. They slowly made their way forward, where Ren leapt at one Stormcloak, cutting her down with his blades. The assistant took out the last two, making his axe run red with blood. They found a raised bridge at the end and lowered it with a nearby lever.

"More Stormcloaks!" warned the assistant. Everyone looked back to see a dozen soldiers coming straight for them. "Go on ahead! Don't worry about me!"

"Good luck, my friend," Hadvar said. The assistant nodded and took a defensive position as the Stormcloaks charged at him. They never knew his fate for as soon as they all crossed the bridge, they heard the dragon's roar again, and the ceiling came down, destroying any hope of return.

"We have no choice but to move forward through these caverns," Hadvar said, desceneding the stone staircase and onto soft dirt. "Be on your guard, these caves are home to some fearsome spiders."

They made their way through the caverns, killing a few said spiders, which also made Pyrrha shriek as it turns out she is terrified of spiders, so she was not much help to them. They soon neared the exit when they came into an open area with a rushing river and a handcart that had a pouch of gold and some fresh food. The only trouble was the enormous bear that was resting in its little hovel that was in between them and the exit.

"We can try sneaking past her," Ren suggested.

"We can always try taking her on," Nora suggested with a grin. Hadvar swallowed and nocked an arrow to his bow.

"Let's let Jaune decide," he said.

"I have to agree with Ren, I'd rather we try avoiding it unless things go south." Jaune crouched down and slowly made his way past the bear, only freezing in place and hitting the floor when the bear stirred in its sleep. Everyone followed after him and under a makeshift bridge in the river. "Almost there…" They finally cleared it and ran straight for the exit to the surface.

"I'd thought we would never make it," Hadvar commented as they all ran outside and onto the surface.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Everyone was blinded by the sun when they stepped outside, but soon subsided as they stared out at the snowy landscape with green fields and trees shortly ahead. Jaune took a couple steps foward when he was yanked behind a boulder by Pyrrha. The dragon that attacked Helgen flew overhead and head east, with a final roar from it echoed across the sky. When the beast vanished from their sight, they all let out a sigh of relief.

"I need a freaking nap more than anything right now," Ren complained.

"My hometown, Riverwood, is not too far from here," Hadvar told them. "I can take you there."

"No, it's fine," Jaune said, holding his hands up. "You've done so much for us already and–"

"Jaune, I wouldn't have made it out of there without your help," Hadvar argued. "Let me repay you a little more." Hadvar began walking down the path, and JNPR followed after him, knowing they could use a little extra help.

"My uncle Alvor and his wife Sigrid run the town's blacksmith," Hadvar told them. "Riverwood is a quiet little town, but it has a number of business including a saw mill, a tavern inn, and a general store."

"Sounds like a nice little place to settle down in," Pyrrha complimented.

"Thank you. When we get there, my uncle can give us some food, supplies, and even a bed for the night."

They reached Riverwood in about an hour's walk. Walking through the noticeably defenseless gates. They went straight for Alvor's house, where he was working on his grinding stone with a blade. He stopped when he saw his nephew and his friends.

"Hadvar!" Alvor cried, hugging the young man.

"Hello, Uncle," Hadvar said back.

"What has happened to you, my boy? You're covered in dirt and blood."

"Oh, that. My friends and I recently escaped from Helgen. Uncle, the town was attacked by a dragon!"

"What?! So that's what I saw in the sky today."

"Yes," said Pyrrha. "It was thanks to your nephew that we escaped the town, and the same for him."

"Come inside, all of you. Sigrid will serve us all some hot food while you explain the details."

Inside, Everyone sat down at the table. Team JNPR began stuffing their faces almost immediately, showing how starved they were, but the others did not mind.

"Tell me, what happened exactly?" Alvor asked.

"I was stationed with General Tullius' group, you know that," Hadvar answered, biting into some bread. "We had just captured Jarl Ulfric and a group of his Stormcloaks, whom these four were with as travelers looking for safety during their trip. We had almost had them executed until a dragon emerged and destroyed the town. I know Tullius escaped, and Ulfric as well."

"What were kids as young as you four doing out there with Stormcloaks?"

"Jaune, we might as well tell them," Pyrrha said by his side.

Jaune set dow his soup bowl and cleared his throat. "Look, we are not from Skyrim or any part of Tamriel. We came from a land called Remnant, in the Kingdom of Vale, to be precise. We were heading to see a movie when we were attacked by three strange men. They tried to kill me and they used some strange liquid on us, and when we came to, we were here."

Everyone looked at them as if they were crazy, but considering that they just saw a dragon, maybe they were not. "Odd, indeed," Sigrid commented. "Did these men mention anything strange to you?"

Jaune hummed to himself, thinking. "One of them mentioned someone by the name of Alduin." Everyone looked at him with shock. "What is it?"

"Are you sure he said Alduin?" Alvor politely demanded. Jaune nodded, unsure of what he meant, and Alvor recognized his confusion. "Alduin was an incredibly powerful dragon ages ago, spoken of in the legends we were told as bedtime stories. He was a dragon that brought about the Dragon War long ago before he was sealed away, never to return again."

"I think that dragon that attacked Helgen may have been this Alduin," Ren noted, sipping a cup of tea.

"I only pray it was not," Hadvar muttered. "If it was him, then Skyrim is in great danger."

"Riverwood is completely defenseless here, we need help from Whiterun as soon as possible."

"We can go and bring back help," said Jaune. "It cannot be that much trouble, can it?"

"You should be careful here. This isn't that Vale place, which sounds peaceful. Here, you never know when or where you'll be attacked by roving bandits, animals, creatures, and with the civil war going on, things can get hairy, so to speak."

"Uncle Alvor, the five of us need a place for the night, and we can us some new weapons and armor."

"Of course," said Sigrid. "Any friend of Hadvar's is a friend of ours. Here's a key to the house, use it anytime. Alvor, can you work on some new gear for our new friends?"

"Yes, dear, I can. What sort of things do you need?"

"I could use a new sword, a sturdier shield, and some light metal armor," Jaune stated.

"The same, but can you craft me a special weapon?" said Pyrrha.

"I need a better hammer," said Nora.

"I could use some regular leather armor and steel daggers, thank you," said Ren.

"I can do all that. Little lady, come with me and I will see what I can do for this special weapon. The rest of you head into the cellar where Sigrid can set up some cots for all of you."

Everyone ate their fill of food and drink, then spent the evening relaxing and sharing stories while Pyrrha helped Alvor with her new weapon: a replacement spearsword for herself. Alvor promised to work all night if he must, and told Pyrrha to get herself some sleep.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

The hours passed by and the moon shone high in the night sky. Alvor wiped the sweat from his forehead as he finished crafting all the armor and shields for the young teens. He had tried multiple times to make the spearsword that Pyrrha drew up for him, but it was unlike any weapon he has ever attempted. He leaned back in his wooden chair and let out a long sigh, deciding he may have to give Pyrrha a regular blade instead.

A couple minutes later, a tall, caucasian person wearing a long, black cloak strolled through the Riverwood gates and went to the blacksmith. He was wearing red and brown traveling clothes with chainmail underneath; he looked like a ranger, if nothing more. "Alvor, I presume," said the cloaked man.

"Who are you? If you're looking for a room for the night, the Sleeping Giant Inn right down the road can help you out."

"I am here for some rest, but I have business to tend to first, mainly with you." He ascended the steps and walked to the smithing area, resting his hand on a longsword at his left hip. Alvor gritted his teeth and reached for the dagger he keep on his belt. "I have no intention of hurting you, I have a gift for you to give to the newcomers known as team JNPR." The cloaked man went to his back under the cloak and pulled out a roll of fabric. Objects can be heard hitting one another inside it.

"Give the sword to Jaune Arc, and the swordspear to Pyrrha Nikos. The warhammer to Nora Valkyrie, and the daggers to Lie Ren." The man unraveled the roll, revealing a fine double-handed broadsword made of ebony steel, recognized by the blade's black sheen. The crossguard that curved towards the blade was decorated in silver, the grip wrapped in black leather, and a sapphire was embedded at the pommel. The spearsword was modeled exactly like Pyrrha's weapon back in Vale, minus the blade being made of fine steel, and there was no way for it to transform into a rifle or a spear. There was a wahammer that was clearly made with fine skyforge steel. And finally, two long daggers made with a colored steel to give them a greenish color.

"Who are you, young traveler?" Alvor asked.

"I am none of your concern." The man pointed one of his gloved hands at Alvor, and even though they were next to the smith fire, the hood obscured the man's full face, leaving only his nose and mouth. "Tell them that you crafted these weapons yourself, nothing else." Alvor turned to put the weapons on his table, and when he turned back, the man had disappeared. He sped to the railing to look around, but he was nowhere in sight.

Looking at Alvor's house from his room in the Sleeping Giant Inn, the mysterious man was smoking a pipe with a candle at his nightstand. "The Divines expect great things from you, Jaune Arc," the man whispered to himself. "And so do I and the others."

**CHAPTER END.**


	2. The City of Whiterun

A/N: yes, I know that the Draugr's eyes are actually a light blue, but I believe it's more threatening as a red color, and also, the Breezehome has been altered, so let's move on and for those of who object, quit whining, it's just one little changed detail.

Also, Malukah belongs to…herself. (You are an incredible bard, Malukah.)

**Chapter 2: Visit to Whiterun**

Still on their first night in the mysterious new land of Skyrim, Jaune and company's first day on vacation was less than inviting, ranging from being forced to killing people, being arrested and nearly executed, and encountering a fearsome creature of fantasy tales: a dragon.

During the night while Alvor was working on their new weapons and armor, as well as being visited by the mysterious traveler who gave him the fine grade weapons, Jaune laid in his cot wide awake, thinking over the entire day. His other friends were sound asleep; Pyrrha half-curled into a ball, Nora sprawled out with her blanket barely on her, and Ren lying on his back with one arm up by his head. His own mind flashed back to the three mysterious men who attacked him and his friends, and somehow appeared in Skyrim, only to kill one of them, then having to kill dozens of people, both Empire and Stormcloak, to save themselves. He shivered at the mere thought that he blindly massacred so many people.

_They all would've killed me if I had done nothing to defend myself,_ Jaune reassured himself. _But I could've just knocked them all out if I wanted to. How can the others kill without a second thought like that_? He looked at his sleeping friends, then let out a sigh. He got up and, carefully moving past his friends, he went up the steps to go out for some fresh air.

Outside, he passed by Alvor, who was admiring his new black blade. "How is our new gear coming along, sir?" Jaune asked, surprising Alvor.

"Ah, Jaune, they are coming along quite nicely," Alvor stuttered, stuffing the blade blade away, leaving Jaune none the wiser. Jaune continued on his walk, eventually coming to the saw mill, then behind Alvor's house where he rested on top of a tree stump as he stared into the running river. Hadvar came up from behind him some time later.

"Can't sleep, Jaune?" he asked.

"Nah, this entire day of hectic events got to my head and I just didn't register all the people we have killed today…"

"You never killed someone before?" Hadvar asked, puzzled. "I thought you had considering you are a warrior."

"Well, we are warriors, but we are tasked with fighting against monsters and creatures to protect humanity; we have never fought people before, at least I haven't, I don't know if my teammates have."

Hadvar sat down on a large rock by Jaune. "Jaune, in this world, you're going to have to kill if you want to survive. There are dangerous people in this world who would kill you and Ren, then keep Pyrrha and Nora as slaves to sell off to people. I don't mean to frighten you, lad, but that is just one of the very terrible things that happens in this world, especially around here with the civil war going on."

Jaune let out a sigh and cranked his head up to the sky, looking at the pretty stars. Hadvar, sensing that he wants to be alone, got up and walked off. "Remember what I said, Jaune," he said.

After Hadvar went back inside the house, Jaune got off the tree stump and walked into the river deep enough to cover his feet. He stared at his own reflection, the reflection of a teen, barely an adult, who has only had a few battles in his entire life. Jaune fell to his knees, splashing water onto his clothes. He continued looking at his reflection, reflecting on himself. He stood up and went back to bed.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune and the rest of the team woke up feeling well rested. They came upstairs to a wonderful breakfast on the table for them all, and their new weapons and armor laid neatly on one of the beds. They ate their fill and tried on their new armor, which fit perfectly. Jaune had steel armor with shoulder pads, and steel gauntlets. Pyrrha opted for full steel armor minus shoulder pads, steel Imperial gauntlets, steel Imperial boots, and a copper circlet with an emerald for headwear. Nora wore leather armor with leather gloves and boots, though Ren only had armor and boots like hers. They tested out their new weapons, though Jaune's ebony steel sword was breathtaking to everyone.

"Thank you for this sword, Alvor," Jaune said. "It looks beautiful."

"It was no trouble at all, Jaune." Sigrid took Alvor aside.

"Where did you get that sword?" she whispered to him. "I know you haven't had any experience making ebony weapons, so where did you get that?"

"Don't tell anyone about this but some stranger came around last night and gave me all those weapons they now have." Alvor left Sigrid to finish his breakfast, leaving her concerned about what he just said.

"Look, Alvor made me a spearsword like Miló back home," Pyrrha commented, tracing her fingers along the steel blade that curved like a javelin's down to the long hilt. "Thank you, Mr. Alvor."

"It was no trouble, lass."

"Looks like I have a new Magnhild," Nora chuckled under her breath. "Magnhild 2.0, not as deadly, but still quite vicious." Ren shook his head at Nora's comment.

"Thank you for the dagers, sir," Ren mentioned, nodding his head at the blades in approval.

"My uncle has been known for his steel work in these parts," Hadvar praised.

"Well, my work pales in comparison to Eorlund Grey-Mane's skyforge steel weaponry up in Whiterun though."

Sigrid got between the two men right there. "You men can chat another time, we must send these young warriors out to Whiterun right away to send soldiers here before that dragon comes back." She went to another table where four packs sat and gave one to each member of Team JNPR. "There's enough food for a few days in there, a bed roll and water canteens for each of you, some torch sticks, a few potions, and a map and compass so you don't get lost."

"Thank you, Mrs. Sigrid," Pyrrha said.

The four and Sigrid headed out the door and out into the morning sun. Hadvar came out behind them shortly after. "Now, to get to Whiterun, you just head east out of town and north across the bridge," Sigrid began. "From there, just follow the path north and Whiterun is just a couple miles away, easy to spot from the mountain pass."

"Thank you, ma'am," Jaune said, and they all bid farewell as they headed east, then north across the bridge.

"Jaune," said Pyrrha. "I went around town yesterday, and Gerdur, who pretty much runs the town, said that Whiterun is home to a man named Farengar, who acts as the Jarl's court wizard."

"Wizard? As in magic, shooting fire, pulling rabbits out of a hat, that sort of thing?"

Nora giggled behind her hand. "Yes, a bit like that," Pyrrha continued. "If we can meet with him, we might be able to devise a way to return home to Vale!" That got everyone excited.

"Hopefully this wizard can help us get home," Ren muttered under his breath.

Pyrrha threw her hand up, signaling everyone to stop. Nearby, a bush rustled, and a lone wolf leapt out at Jaune, who shrieked and shielded himself with his arms. Nora brought her warhammer down upon the wolf, crushing it to the ground where it laid dead. She let out a whoop for joy.

They continued on, climbing up the trail until they came to the wide fields with the city of Whiterun in the short distance away. They all stood side by side staring at the city in awe as a breeze blew through them. "It's so beautiful," Pyrrha commented.

They all stared at the beautiful landscape for quite seemed like forever before Jaune remembered their task. He snapped everyone from their daze and they strolled down the path and onto the fields. They came across a few farms with their farmers tending to their crops.

"Jaune, they're in trouble!" Pyrrha suddenly exclaimed, pointing to a small group of people fighting a Giant. Drawing her Miló, Pyrrha dashed over to help the group while Jaune groaned to himself before running after her. Nora and Ren decided to just stay afar and watch.

"Hit him hard!" called Aela, the group leader. Farkas slashed at the Giant's leg with his steel broadsword, then Ria shot an arrow at its face, but missed. Aela dodged a stomp from its leg, then saw Pyrrha leap at the beast. She channeled her Aura into her hands and feet, allowing her to leap up to the Giant's head in a matter of seconds, where she held on as it swung around, trying to throw her off.

Jaune ran at the beast with his sword raised, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he found himself under the Giant's foot. Aela grabbed him and rolled out of the Giant's area before it could happen though. "If you're can't defend yourself properly, then you're just a burden to us!" she told him before running back to fight the Giant.

Pyrrha held onto the Giant with all her might. She raised her swordspear and drove it into the Giant's skull, making it fall to the ground dead. She brushed the dirt off herself and went to Jaune's aid before Aela had a chance to speak to her.

"You are quite fearsome," Aela complimented after Pyrrha helped Jaune up. "You might have what it takes to become a Shield-Sister."

"A what?" asked the confused Pyrrha.

"Ah, you must be outsiders. See, we Companions are brothers and sisters in arms. We always show up to solve problems if the coin is good enough."

"So you're just mercenaries," Ren commented. "You don't care so long as you get paid."

"Watch your tongue, Breton!" snapped Farkas.

"Cool it, Farkas," said Aela. "Yes, you can say that we are mercenaries or sellswords, but we are far more than that. We look out for one another and we treat our own well."

"Ooh, sounds like fun!" shrieked Nora.

Aela chuckled. "Well, aren't you the excited one. You are welcome to join, Ms…?"

"Oh, Pyrrha Nikos," Pyrrha said with a bow.

"I am Aela, the big brute is Farkas, and this is Ria."

"Nice to meet you." Pyrrha then turned to Jaune. "Jaune, what do you think about them?"

"Wait, that is your leader?" Farkas asked. "The boy looks frail, and I saw how Aela had to rescue him from being crushed a moment ago. He is a mere pup compared to us."

"Hey, you wanna say that to my face?" Jaune growled. Farkas growled at the young lad, standing much taller than him, which sent Jaune crawling back.

"Let me see that sword of yours, Jaune," Aela said, her hand out for his blade. Jaune obeyed and handed the black blade to her, making her gasp in awe. "Such fine care was put in this blade," she commented. "Fine ebony steel…" She swung the blade a few times. "…And it handles quite well. You have a good blade, Jaune, but if you want to become stronger, come to the mead hall of Jorrvaskr, where we reside. We will train you be a better warrior than you can imagine." With her piece said, Aela and her group left them to return to Whiterun, though team JNPR followed after them since they were going to the same place.

Pyrrha and Aela soon struck up a conversation with each other along the trip. Farkas himself walked next to Jaune. "Listen, sorry if I got a little mean at you," he apologized. "If Aela sees potential in you, then I have no reason to believe you're weak." Jaune accepted the apology right away.

Along the way, they passed by some Khajiit caravans situated near the Whiterun gates. Team JNPR froze in their tracks, allowing Aela and his group to continue on without them. The reason why they stopped was because the fact they were staring humanoid cats!

"Why do you stare at us like that?" asked one Khajiit who was tending to a cooking pot over a fire.

"Oh, we're sorry!" said Pyrrha. "It's just that…we've never seen anyone like you before…not that you aren't weird or anything!"

"Rest easy, my child," said another Khajiit, who handed Pyrrha and her team some cups of Khajiit tea. "Drink it, it helps calm the body." The team found that he was right, as their bodies soon felt at ease after only a few sips.

"You guys look so cute!" said Nora. "I just want to pet your ears!" Ren gave the Khajiit a quick apology, but they did not mind Nora's words.

"If you think we are strange, you should see the black-haired beauty Jarl Balgruuf took under his wing recently. She has proven herself to be a powerful ally and soon climbed her way up the ranks to become one of his personal soldiers, next to the Dark Elf Irileth."

"What black-haired beauty?" Ren asked.

The Khajiit hummed for a moment. "I cannot remember her name, but people say she is the offspring of a Khajiit and a Breton, recognized for her cat-like ears and yellow eyes." Team JNPR thanked the Khajiit for his hospitality and continued on, but the woman he described sounded all too familiar.

"You don't think he meant Blake, did he?" Jaune asked.

"I don't know, but we will find out since we need to see the Jarl anyway," Pyrrha said. She looked up at the building tops of Whiterun and spotted a tall one near the rear of the city. "Three guesses that the Jarl lives in the tallest building," she joked.

They approached the gates, but they were stopped from a couple guards who refused to let travelers pass. "We have come from Riverwood requesting aid!" Jaune explained. "A dragon was sighted there recently and we need to speak to Jarl Balgruuf."

"What?! A dragon?!" said one guard. "Alright, head up the street to the Cloud District where the Jarl's palace, Dragonsreach, resides. But mind your act, travelers, else you like to spend some time in the dungeon." They all agreed to be on their best behavior and entered.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Inside Dragonsreach, Jarl Balgruuf sat on his throne speaking with his advisers on the Civil War. "I am tired of waiting around," said Hrongar, the Jarl's son. "Let us take the fight to the Stormcloaks."

"We must align with the Empire," said Irileth, a Dark Elf. "The Empire can help restore this once-great city back to its former glory."

"Enough, enough," said the Jarl, seated on his throne. "I wish to remain neutral in this war. Taking sides will only separate the people."

Just then, the heavy front gates opened, and two guards followed by Team JNPR entered the hall. One guard ran ahead and kneeled before the Jarl. "My lord, we have travelers from Riverwood who carry important news from the people."

"Let them enter," said the Jarl.

Jaune and friends entered the hall and approached the Jarl. Everyone kneeled before him except Jaune, who kneeled in a haste after realizing his mistake. "What news do you four bring from Riverwood?" Jarl Balgruuf asked.

"A dragon attacked Helgen, destroying it completely!" said Jaune.

"A dragon?!" said Balgruuf, shifting in his seat.

"Yes, sir," said Pyrrha. "The dragon flew over Riverwood, and we have been sent from there to request that soldiers be send to help defend the town should the dragon return."

"I shall have a group of soldiers deployed to Riverwood right away. You four youths must have come far to deliver such important information."

"You can say that," joked Nora. Ren bumped her in the hip to quiet her down.

"I can tell that they are quite formidable in their own ways," commented Irileth.

"Pah!" said a voice from above. Everyone looked up to see someone up on the second floor. The young woman leapt over the railing and landed on the floor on both feet and a hand with cat-like grace. The young woman stood up, brushing her hands together as her cat ears twitched atop her black hair. She stared at them all with her yellow eyes. "These children do seem strong, but I can tell that the blonde one is a clumsy fool considering he did not know the proper etiquette to bow before the Jarl."

"Blake, calm down," said Farengar, the court wizard. "Besides, they don't look any older than you."

Blake Belladonna looked at Farengar with her piercing eyes, making him take a step back and shiver. "Jarl, I know I have not been in the court very long, but I can see that these youths had hardly accomplished a difficult in bringing us this information."

"Blake, why do you speak to us like that?" Jaune asked.

"What do you mean, boy?"

Jaune stood up and walked to her. "Blake, it's me, Jaune. And there's Pyrrha…"

"Hello again!" Pyrrha interjected.

"…and Nora, and Ren."

"Thank you for introducing yourselves, but keep your distance, boy," she added with a feline hiss, making Jaune back off. "I'm going back to my quarters for something to eat."

"I shall deliver some cooked fish for you, Lady Belladonna," said a servant. Blake disappeared up the staircase.

"Jarl, is it alright if I take these youths aside to speak with them?" asked Farengar, who was given permission. "This way, please." Farengar led the four into his workplace, complete with an enchanting table and tables full of maps, soul gems, and books of magical spells.

"What do you require of us?" Jaune asked. Pyrrha kept her full attention on them while skimming through a magic book, bewildered at the strange runes. Nora fiddled with the soul gems on the table, forcing Ren to take them from her, thus spoiling her fun.

"I'm glad you asked," Farengar began. "See, if the dragons are indeed returning to Tamriel, then we need to discover more information about them and there's a piece of that information nearby in Bleak Falls Barrow to the south of here, just near Riverwood."

"It doesn't sound too hard," said Nora, who was balancing a book on her head.

"Well, Bleak Falls Barrow is an ancient tomb home to Nords who have long since died. The problem is, the dead don't stay dead, especially when people come in to raid their tomb of anything valuable in there."

"Wait, there are dead people walking around in there?" Jaune, asked. Farengar nodded, which sent a shiver up Jaune's spine.

"I know it's a difficult task, but I will make sure you four are well-rewarded when you come back."

"What we want to know first of all is if you know anything about teleportation magic," Pyrrha asked, slamming the book shut.

"Teleportation? There's no such spell capable of that."

"Look, Farengar, we are not from Tamriel," Ren explained. "We came from another world called Remnant and we want to get back home. We think we came here via some magic spell or something and was wondering if you knew anything."

"Look, there is no such thing as teleportation magic, so I cannot help you there." That put team JNPR in a slump, but Farengar had a brilliant idea to help them out. "Listen, what I need in Bleak Falls Barrow is a Dragonstone stone tablet, and to give you guys a better chance of survival, not that you need it, I'll teach you youths some low-level magic."

"Can you teach me a healing spell and some fire magic?" Pyrrha asked.

"I could use some healing magic as well," Jaune muttered. He knew he could use that so Pyrrha did not have to patch him up so much.

"I could use some magic as well," Ren commented. He kept Nora from speaking up; the last thing she needed was to be able to shoot fire out of her hands.

"Not everyone has the capability of learning magic, but I'll see what I can do with you kids." Over the next hour, Jaune managed to tame a low-level healing spell as well as a low-level Shock spell that allowed him to emit lightning sparks out his hands. Pyrrha also mastered a flame spell and a firebolt spell as well as a healing spell just for Jaune. For Ren, he was a natural according to Farengar. Ren learned not only a flame, frost, and shock spell, but learned an illusion to make any enemies calm down during a fight, and a spell that can encase his body or anyone else's in magic energy to act as a shield.

"You kids are no ordinary people, are you?" Farengar joked after finishing with Ren.

"Not quite," Pyrrha said with a smile.

"Well, I wish the four of you luck with retrieving the Dragonstone, and hopefully those spells will come in use for you for a long time."

"Thank you, sir," said Nora. "Also, what can you tell me about Blake?"

"The Half-Khajiit? Well, she appeared around here just a day ago, but she earned herself a seat in the court after she demonstrated her fighting abilities when she took out a group of bandits that attacked one of the farms on the outskirts with just her bare hands. Jarl Balgruuf invited her here and she sorta stuck around. I suppose you know her?"

"She's a friend of ours," Jaune explained.

"Well, when we brought her here, she could not remember a thing except her name. She had no weapons on her, and the farmer that was attacked claimed she moved with quick speed, and that when she was hit, it was like a shadow that got hit instead."

"Poor Blake," Pyrrha muttered.

"There has to be a way to restore her memory somehow," said Jaune.

"Well, can you do it after getting the Dragonstone though?" Team JNPR agreed to that and left. They stopped by Belethor's General Goods Store where they purchased fur coats and some food with some of the money that Alvor and Sigrid gave them and headed for the gates. "These hoods are huge," Jaune commented, throwing his hood up which covered his entire face. This led to him not knowing what was in front of him however.

"Jaune, look out!" Pyrrha yelled, but it was too late. Jaune collided with a young woman in the street, sending the two of them to the ground. The woman was carrying a pack which spilled it contents of apples, potatoes, and coins across the ground. "I'm sorry about that," Pyrrha said hastily, helping the woman up, then Jaune after, who helped gather up the woman's pack.

"No, it's fine," said the woman. She looked at them with her dazzling blue eyes and long crimson hair that did not hide her long Elven ears. "I should've been watching where I was going since you four seem to be in a hurry." She got up and brushed the dirt off herself. She was wearing brown traveling clothes with a brown leather belt strap across her waist and across her chest. Leather pouches full of who-knows-what lined her waist, a longsword hung at her side, and she had a green cloak around her neck.

"Julianna, are you alright?" said a man's voice. A brute of a man with green eyes and black hair ran to her side; he was dressed the same as her, minus having a battle-ax and a dagger on him instead.

"I'm fine, Enthwos," said Julianna.

"You watch where you're going, bastard," Enthwos warned to Jaune. Jaune was about to throw an insult back, but both Pyrrha and Julianna got in between the boys.

"Sorry about him," Julianna said. "He can be a bit overprotective at times." Pyrrha nodded and the team continued on, leaving through Whiterun's gates.

"So, that is the one chosen by destiny," Julianna chuckled. "Hard to believe such a clumsy boy may save the world."

"Only time will tell," said Enthwos. "C'mon, the master wants us to finish our tasks before tomorrow." With that said, the two continued on their way.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Along the mountain trail to Bleak Falls Barrow, the team could already feel the cold weather settle around them as their boots crunched in the snow-covered ground. Jaune let loose a sneeze; Pyrrha used her new fire spell by hovering her fiery hand under his chin to help him warm up. "You probably should've learned a fire spell instead of a lightning spell, Jaune," she noted.

"I thought lightning was a little less dangerous for me."

"We need to stay alert on this trail," Ren warned. "Who knows what could be out here." They continued on, soon coming across a stone tower built along the cliffside. Jaune was about to run to it when Pyrrha pulled him down behind a rock with the others.

Before Jaune could complain to her, Pyrrha pointed to the tower where they could see at least three people wearing fur armor around a campfire, and one on the tower bridge entrance. Nearby the fire was the body of someone, and they were not moving. "I think it is safe to assume that they are not friendly," said Jaune.

"I'll get them to come over here, then we can surprise them," Ren told them. He motioned for Nora to head closer and hide behind another boulder, then Pyrrha behind another, and Jaune to stay put. Ren snuck forward, taking caution so that none of the bandits will spot him, though they were all preoccupied with the fire. Continuing forward, Ren rose a little, nocking an arrow in his bow. He aimed straight for the only archer of the group and let loose, making the arrow stick out in the archer's chest, killing him, but alerting the others.

The remaining bandits drew their weapons and ran at Ren, who turned tail and dashed back to where the gang was. When the last bandit passed by, Nora jumped up and slammed her warhammer into his chest, sending him down. One bandit looked back to see her fallen friend and ran to assist him, but Pyrrha shoved her spearsword through the bandit's back. Jaune dashed out with his sword drawn and clashed blades with one bandit while Ren dueled with the last. Ren's bandit went down easily, but Jaune had some trouble with his.

"That's a nice blade you have there, kid," the bandit mocked. "I'm gonna hang it on my wall under your head when I'm finished with you!" He pushed more weight onto Jaune, but the blonde teen was yet to be defeated. Jaune heaved back with all his might, sending the bandit off balance. Jaune took his chance and rammed his blade through the bandit's chest.

"Nice job, Jaune," Pyrrha complimented. Ren told them to check the bodies for anything valuable, then he and Nora went inside the tower to raid the place while Jaune and Pyrrha waited by the fire. When they finished, they found some potions, leather strips, and some gold septims.

"Ren, I know these guys had some money on them, but isn't it a bit…excessive that we looted them after killing them, even if they were going to kill us?" Jaune asked.

"Jaune, trust me, I know what I'm doing. If I were you, I'd make it a habit to loot anything you find, or it could cost you your life."

"Well," started Pyrrha. "We haven't eaten since morning, so how about we have some uncooked meat we bought from Belethor?" They all agreed to that and sat down, where Pyrrha cooked the meat in the cooking pot. It came out a little overcooked since she has had little experience with campfires, but no one complained.

After they finished eating, they continued on for the Barrow. A snowstorm soon picked up, causing their vision to decrease, but they soon found the Barrow; they all were stunned by its sheer size and age. They raced up the stone steps and heaved open one of the doors and rushed in.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

The team had just gotten inside and unzipped their fur coats when they heard unfriendly voices. "Who goes there?" called a man. They heard weapons be drawn and they did the same. A bandit in fur armor carrying a mace came to the entrance with another bandit with a broadsword behind him. "They're after the treasure! Kill them!" He rushed at them and swung his mace, but Jaune deflected it with his shield and stabbed the bandit. The last bandit swung his broadsword vertically, but Nora blocked it with her warhammer shaft. Grinning, Nora broke the clash and swung her hammer into the woman's chest, breaking several ribs and crushing her organs, killing her quickly.

After gathering a couple torches, they headed down the hall. They walked around the corner at the end and came to an open chamber, but they hugged the wall when they saw a bandit inside. He walked up to a lever in the ground and pulled it/ He then fell dead as dozens of small darts pierced his body. The team entered the chamber and found three rotatable pillars on the left.

"It's a puzzle." Jaune realized. "Judging from those animal pictures above the gate, we need to rotate the pillars to match the ones above."

"This fool must've been a dumb one to not realize this simple puzzle," Nora joked, tapping the dead man with her boot. They switched the pillars around and opened the gate, allowing them to continue on.

They found a spiraling staircase, but they also came across a few Skeevers, or giant rats. They took them out before they could bite them and continued on. "Talk about rodents of unusual size," Jaune commented on the way down. When they reached the end of the stairs, they noticed a large spider across the room, which ran at them. Pyrrha pushed Jaune aside and shot a firebolt at the insect thus igniting it, making it cringe in pain before dying after a few seconds.

"Sorry, I hate spiders," she admitted. They continued down the hall, where they found snips and pockets of sticky spider web on the walls and ceiling. The team shivered every time they saw the blood-dried husk of some Skeever or even a human. They passed by a fork, but it was one-sided since the right path was encased in sticky web, prohibiting any advancement.

Pyrrha took a glance at the right path, then she spotted something green in the web. "Guys, I think there's something in the web there." They stopped in their tracks to look, and they saw the green thing as well. They went over to the web wall and noticed a web sac with something in it with green hair strands sticking out. "It's a person!" They took care at cutting the web sac down, then cutting the person out.

Who they found was a dark-skinned teen with mint green hair and dark-red eyes. They recognized her right away as Emerald Sustrai, the exchange student from Haven back at Beacon. She was dressed in the same clothes she wears for combat, and even had her same weapons as well. She soon came to to find Team JNPR hovering over top of herself.

"Wh-what is going on?" she groggily asked. She got to her feet, shaking her head clear. "The last thing I remember was searching this old tomb for treasure when I was attacked by giant spiders, then nothing."

"They must've caught you and strung you up to eat later," Ren commented.

"Emerald, do you remember us" Jaune asked.

Emerald looked at all four of them for a moment, then it clicked in her mind. "Oh yeah, you're those teens from Beacon. How did you guys get here?"

"We would like to ask you the same thing."

"Well, I don't remember much other than going for a walk with Cinder and Mercury in Vale, then nothing. Then I awoke here searching for treasure for some reason, which would make sense since I used to be a thief."

"Well, how about you stay with us for a while?" Pyrrha suggested. "We are looking for an ancient stone tablet, and we could use all the help we can get."

Emerald knew she did not have much choice considering the four teens just saved her life from a terrible fate. "Alright, but swear that I get a portion of whatever valuables we find, deal?" They agreed on that and continued down the spider-infested halls. They soon began hearing a voice crying for help. They slashed open a doorway covered in web to enter a large chamber covered in spider web, and the one calling for help was trapped in a doorway of web on the other side.

"There you are, I was afraid there was no one around," said the Dark Elf. Jaune and company were about to run to his aid when a colossal Frosbite Spider descended down from the ceiling, which made Pyrrha shriek in horror. "Team, flank the beast and kill it!" Jaune ordered.

Ren drew his daggers and made a dash towards the spider's backside, but the insect lashed its leg out, pushing Ren to the ground instead. Jaune leapt at the spider and swung his blade, slicing his foe across the face, then he dug his sword into one of its many eyes, blinding it there. The spider reeled back in pain, then bore down on Jaune, knocking his sword and shield from his hands and attempted to snag him in its pinchers, but he managed to hold its pinchers back with his raw strength. Pyrrha leapt between the two, slashing across the spider's face, cutting off one pincher in the process and helping Jaune to his feet. Emerald drew her weapons and fired a few shots at the spider, then she unfolded her blades and assumed her Praying Mantis fighting stance, weaving in and out of the spider's legs, slicing off two of them before retreating to safety

Nora ran at the spider, dodging leg stabs, allowing her to slam her warhammer into more legs, breaking them instantly and allowing her to leap onto the creature's head, driving her hammer into its skull, though it still breathed life. Ren ran around the creature in circles, cutting off its remaining legs, leaving it a defenseless body on the ground. Pyrrha walked over and plunged her spearsword through its face, killing it. They all took a moment to catch their breath then walked over to the imprisoned Dark Elf.

"I'm impressed you kids managed to kill that creature," he said. "I'm Arvil, and I came here looking for the ancient treasure in this tomb." Pyrrha noticed that he was wearing fur armor like the bandits they encountered.

"Are you allied with the bandits in this place?" she asked.

"What? Yes, they are my comrades, what of it? Look, cut me down, and I promise I will lead you five to the treasure; I know where it is and what to do to access it. It just requires the golden claw that I have." With no choice since they have to continue through the doorway, Jaune cut away the web covering the door and Arvil. The Dark Elf fell to the floor and scrambled to his feet only to run off down the hall ahead. "Like Hell I will share the treasure with fools like you!"

Pyrrha was the quickest to react. She sped off after the Dark Elf to see him halfway through a small burial chamber. She drew her spearsword and held it like a javelin, aiming with her hand extended, and she threw it directly into Arvil's back, sending him dead to the floor. She retrieved her weapon just as everyone arrived.

"Nice job, Pyrrha," Emerald complimented, making Pyrrha smile. Ren searched Arvil's body and found nothing useful aside from the golden claw he mentioned and his journal; Ren read through it after giving Jaune the claw, which was quite big. Emerald glared at the claw with lust in her eyes. "You guys check this area for any valuables while I read this."

"Ren, isn't it wrong to rob the dead like this?" Jaune asked.

"Maybe, but if there's any gold or jewels, they won't need it." Logic aside, they searched the burial pots and shelves for anything. Jaune found a sapphire and a ruby, which got him thinking about the real Ruby, wondering what she is thinking knowing that her friends have disappeared from Vale. Pyrrha found some septims, Nora found a couple septims and a tattered book, and Emerald found, well, an emerald, which got her grinning from ear to ear.

They continued on when they came into a long open chamber hallway lined with shelves containing the corpses of Nords from long ago. It was all breathtaking, that is until several of the dead suddenly rose from their resting places, drew old, rusted weapons and growled at the team with glowing red eyes. Everyone drew their weapons and formed a circle, preventing any Draugr from getting the jump on them. Nora grinned with anticipation at the thought of killing the dead, though Jaune was terrified Pyrrha, Ren, and Emerald were unfazed, though they were hoping the dead can die again.

One Draugr with a hand axe growled and came at Pyrrha, but she swatted its axe away and stabbed her spearsword into its chest, which made it fall to the ground as its eyes extinguished. "They can die!" she confirmed. "Kill them like any other being!" Ren dashed forward and cut down a Draugr, Nora smashed one's skull in, and Emerald dug her blade into another's neck. Jaune, still feeling nervous even after killing real people, lead with his shield against a Draugr with a broadsword. The undead being brought its sword down, pushing Jaune down to the ground. The reanimated corpse was ready to finish him off when Pyrrha launched her spearsword into its chest, killing it once more.

_Pyrrha saved my life again_, Jaune thought as he got up. _As much as I have proven myself in this world so far, I cannot have her keep saving me_. They continued on, avoiding the traps from ages ago and fighting the Draugr that intended to preserve their secret. They eventually came into a long, empty hallway illuminated by torches. On the other side, they came across a dead end, but they found a strange keyhole with three spiral switches depicting different animals.

The team used this time to take a short break, eating some dried meat from their rations and drinking from their canteens. They offered Emerald some food who happily accepted it. "According to that guy's journal," Ren muttered. "We need to use the golden claw, which acts as the key to this door."

"Well, that's not too hard, good thing he had it on himself," Jaune commented, springing to his feet. He fished the claw from his pack and inserted it into the keyhole, but nothing happened. "It didn't work."

"The journal also says that these spiral switches correspond to the claw itself." Jaune took a look at the claw at noticed the animal markings on the inside of the claw. He rotated the spiral switches to match the claws and inserted the claw once more, which allowed the door to open, revealing a large cavern with a running river and a large altar with a wall across the cavern.

They entered the open cavern and walked across the river and to the stone wall, which was inscribed with strange runes that neither of them could read. "Such strange lettering," Pyrrha remarked. "It would be interesting to know what this wall says." Jaune stared at the wall for what felt like forever; he stared at three runes which were glowing with a blueish light. He approached the words closer, and the light around them disappeared, swirling around his body and disappeared, making Jaune fall to the floor gasping for air. "Jaune, you alright?" Pyrrha asked.

"I think so," he answered, getting back up. "Did you guys see those glowing words?"

"Jaune, none of these runes were glowing," Emerald commented. Jaune was wondering why his friends did not see what he saw, but his thought process was interrupted by the sound of something opening. Everyone spun around with weapons drawn to see a nearby coffin lid come off, and a Draugr with a broadsword wearing rusty armor, boots, gauntlets, and a horned helm comes out, glaring at the team with its red eyes.

"He's mine to break!" Nora yelled and rushed at the Draugr Deathlord. The Draugr turned towards her and opened its dead mouth. "FUS RO DAH!" it yelled, and a shockwave of energy shot out, hitting Nora and sending her banging against a far wall. The shockwave hit the others in the edge, making them stumble, but they were still in the fight. Ren grew angry at charged at the Draugr, slicing at its body, but it did not fall. The Draugr merely growled and snatched at Ren's arm, twisting it and forcing him to drop his weapons in pain. The undead warrior grabbed Ren with both hands and threw him off the altar and into the river.

Jaune, Pyrrha, and Emerald rushed at the Draugr. Jaune sliced at its chest area, Pyrrha stabbed it through the gut, and Emerald fired a few shots at its body, but it stood strong. "RO DAH!" shouted the Draugr, sending Emerald against the word wall unconscious. Jaune attacked further with greater fury, but the Draugr simply grabbed him and threw him aside, then grabbed Pyrrha, separating her from her weapons. The Draugr growled in her face, then threw her face-first into the ground where she laid still.

"PYRRHA!" Jaune cried. The Draugr turned to him and let out a growl in its ancient tongue, making Jaune feel terrified. _Can I still defeat it on my own_? he asked himself, clutching his ebony blade in his shaking hand. He raised his shield, hoping that will be able to protect him. The Draugr went to him and brought its broadsword down onto the steel shield repeatedly, sending Jaune to the ground on his held his ground, but he still did not have the courage to fight back. The Draugr tugged at his shield, tearing from it his grasp and kicked the boy to the ground, raising its sword for the final blow.

In his last moment, Jaune glanced at the downed Pyrrha, seeing a trickle of blood run down her head and onto the floor. He thought of her fate and the rest of his team as well. He threw his sword up, blocking the Draugr's strike in a clash. The Draugr was surprised at the young man's sudden courage, but pressed the pressure on to win the clash. Jaune gripped his blade with both hands and threw his foe back and jumped back a bit and unleashed a storm of lightning from his hand. The Draugr felt its magic energy vanish as sparks traced all over its body, but it was not done yet. It let out another shout, which sent Jaune to his knees, but he was not defeated yet. Jaune swung his blade from the side, clipping the Draugr and followed up with an overhead strike, clashing blades with his undead foe again. He put the pressure on, then surprised his enemy when he ended the clash and did an uppercut strike, hitting the Draugr in a weak point, sending it to its knees. Gritting his teeth, Jaune grabbed the Draugr by the shoulder and drove his sword through its chest, pulled it out, and slashed across its neck, sending it to the floor dead once more.

He had no time to relish in his victory; he dashed to Pyrrha's side and turned her over, confirming that her Aura protected her from most of the damage she suffered. He readied a healing spell and fixed the cut in her head, making her wake up. "Jaune?" she muttered, only for him to hug her.

"I'm so glad you're alright," he whispered. As much as she wanted to stay in his arms, they had to heal up the others and wake them up. After everyone got healed up, they congratulated Jaune on his personal victory and set to finding the Dragonstone, which was located in the coffin of the Draugr Deathlord. Nora also found a couple amethysts in a burial pot as well, which she added to the pouch on Jaune's waist. They found a secret entrance in a wall up a stairway, and left Bleak Falls Barrow completely, hoping they never have to return there again.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Coming out of the secret exit of the Barrow, Team JNPR were briefly blinded by the sun, but they soon recovered. From the cliffside, they could see Riverwood not even a mile away. When they reached there, they stopped by the Riverwood Trader to buy some food as well as return the golden claw. "That claw was stolen from me a couple days ago," explained Lucan, the owner. Jaune was happy to return it back, especially since Lucan gave the team a reward of 200 septims and a magic ring of strength that increases the strength of one's sword, which everyone agreed Jaune should take.

The team then went to Alvor's house to have him sharped up their weapons and repair their armor, which he did for free as a personal thank you for the soldiers who now patrol the town. While he took care of their gear, they decided to get a good meal at the Sleeping Giant's Inn before they return to Whiterun. There, they enjoyed a hearty meal of meat, bread, soup, and potatoes while they relaxed around the hearth and listening to the traveling bard named Malukah play her lute, singing a song called "The Dragonborn Comes." Her voice captivated everyone, especially Jaune, who was entranced with the fair lady. When her song ended, no one clapped louder than Jaune. Malukah giggled at his appreciation and bowed before everyone.

"I have never felt more relaxed before," Ren commented to the others.

"Well, Don't worry, Ren, we won't be leaving until our gear is finished," said Jaune. "That will give us at least an hour or so thanks to Alvor's speedy hands." Emerald sat nearby on her own with a mug of ale in her hand. She occasionally glanced at Jaune, who, at the moment, was telling his brave adventure in Bleak Falls Barrow to a couple young children.

"Jaune, can I speak to you privately outside for a minute?" she asked him. He agreed and went outside with her behind him with a cloak under her arm. Outside, Jaune turned to Emerald to speak, but she instead pushed him against the wall of the Inn, peering into his blue eyes. "Don't say anything, Jaune," she whispered as she drew close to him.

"Um, okay?" he said weakly. He held his breath and dared not move while Emerald inched closer to him, as if to kiss him, but as soon as her lips drew close to his, she pulled away, giggling as she juggled a handful of jewels in her hand; Jaune's own jewels, in fact. "Hey, those are mine, Emmy!"

"Well, they're mine now," she said, sticking her tongue out at him. "Don't worry, I left you a small number in your pouch, but next time, don't let your eyes distract you from your purse, especially when an expert thief is near. Besides, you guys promised me some cash if I help you retrieve that stone tablet, so consider my debt to you paid in full." Emerald pocketed her jewels and threw her cloak around herself.

"Will we ever see you again?" Jaune asked, knowing that she was leaving.

Emerald thought about that for a moment, then smiled. "Of course we will, whenever that may be. You're a good guy, Jaune, and you have friends who care deeply for you. As for me, I have to find Cinder and Mercury, wherever they be." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and headed west out of Riverwood. Jaune watched her disappear into the distance then went back inside to resume his good time with his friends.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Team JNPR returned to Whiterun better than ever with the Dragonstone in tow. At Dragonsreach, they proudly handed the tablet over to Farengar, who was glad to see the stone tablet, eager to learn its secrets. As a reward, Jarl Balgruuf decided to give them a small house in the lower district to live in, which was already furnished. Team JNPR was happy at this prospect and left to see their new home, the Breezehome, right away.

Walking into the house, the team was greeted with a couple bookshelves lined at the doors, a wide table with four wooden chairs at it, a clean rug underneath it, and a fireplace with a cooking pot and metal rack nearby. A kitchen was in the next room complete with a storage container which was lined with ice, made for storing frozen foods and behind a counter made with the purpose of preparing food, there were sacks lined with fruit and vegetables respectively. There was another bookcase lined with plates, bowls, silverware. In another room, there was a study with a bookcase that contained about a dozen books (which the team filled up more with the books they already had on them), a few comfy chairs, and an enchanting table and alchemy lab with dressers to hold ingredients for them. Upstairs, the hallway contained a couple weapon plaques and a small dresser. The bedroom contained four twin beds with mattresses and blankets with a nightstand beside each one and two dressers lining two of the walls.

"This looks incredible," Jaune noted. "It's good we have a place to stay while we are here so we don't have to stay at an inn so much."

"Plus with the kitchen, I can make us meals," Ren commented. Pyrrha chimed in, saying she would be happy to help. They investigated the rest of the house, finding another room adjacent to the main room downstairs which was home to several mannequins and chests for holding weapons and armor, as well as a bathroom containing at toilet straight out of one of Jaune's Fantasy RPG games and a hot spring bath, which got Pyrrha and Nora anxious to try out.

Jaune decided that they should spend the rest of the day getting acquainted with their new home, as well as buy new supplies and gear to store there for any future adventures. They stored their fur coats and boots in their dressers, and went out to the market place, where Pyrrha and Nora bought ingredients for cooking ranging from sugar, flour, grain, wheat, water, and so on. Jaune bought more food like cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes (his favorite), and assorted fruit. Ren spent his time getting to know some of Whiterun's residents, as well as discovering the feud between the Battle-borns and the Grey-Manes, who have been at each other's throats since the Civil War broke out. He also came across a traveling mage salesman, whom he bought some fingerless gloves, leather boots, and some green and brown-colored mage robes from.

With the day over, they retreated to bed, hoping the next day will be easier. Unfortunately, it will instead be the day that Jaune Arc discovers his true powers.

**CHAPTER END.**


	3. Rise of a Dragonborn

**Chapter 3: Rise of a Dragonborn**

The next day, the team woke up, bathed, and dressed in clean clothes and dressed in their armor. They complimented Ren's new mage clothes, which he admitted feels much better than the leather armor that he found to be stiff in. They gathered at the table on the first floor to discuss the next course of action over a map of Skyrim.

"Alright," Jaune began. "Our hopes in finding a wizard to get us home has failed, but that doesn't mean that plan is over, for there could be stronger wizards in Skyrim that can help us."

"I asked around yesterday and found out about Winterhold, which lies to the far northeast of here," interjected Ren, who pointed to the city on the map. "The city has been in great decline, so say the townsfolk, but there is the College of Winterhold, home to some of the finest mages of Skyrim. If we can reach the College, we might find more answers."

"Winterhold would take a couple weeks to reach from here," Pyrrha commented. "Especially if we travel on foot, and after exhausting over half our money to supply our house, we are far from having enough to buy even just two horses to make the trip easier."

"Wrong, Pyrrha," Ren continued. "There's the Whiterun Stables, where a fellow will offer to take anyone to any of the main cities for a few hundred septims."

"I agree with Ren there," said Nora, sipping from a cup of milk. "Besides, we don't know this land enough to journey across it; there could be big, bad monsters out there like back home!"

"Farengar also mentioned that there is no such teleportation magic," moaned Jaune. "Even if we reach the College, there is a good chance that even they don't know any spells that can send us back home. And…I'm worried about Blake and her memory."

Pyrrha put a hand on his shoulder. "We can go see her up at Dragonsreach soon. They gathered their weapons and headed out the door, hoping that they will have some better luck speaking to Blake again. No sooner had they just left did a battered and bloody Whiterun soldier rush through the gates, stumbling to the ground. Jaune helped him to his feet.

"What happened? What's wrong?" he asked the guard.

"No time! I must go see the Jarl!" He broke from Jaune's grasp and ran up the hill to Dragonsreach. Team JNPR followed after him. Inside Dragonsreach, the soldier bowed before the Jarl.

"What has happened you, soldier?" Balgruuf demanded.

"A dragon attacked the Western Watchtower!" he answered, sending everyone into murmurs. "It came out of nowhere and just destroyed everything! Only a few of us survived; I was the only one to come!"

"Irileth, gather together a group of soldiers and head for the watchtower." Irileth nodded and left for the guards barracks. Out of nowhere, Blake appeared in the hall. She was clad in a white popped collar shirt, a chain shirt, a black jacket with studded leather shoulder and arm pads, and long black pants and black boots and a steel sword and steel short sword at her hips.

"I am going with her," said Blake. "She will need all the help she can get."

"I won't object, but I must ask that you be careful out there." Balgruuf then turned to Team JNPR. "I know that I have asked much of you four already, but I implore you to go with Irileth to aid her at the watchtower."

"You have to be joking!" exclaimed Jaune.

"I am not, lad. You four have survived Helgen, so you all have had experience with a dragon before. Do not worry, young warriors, the Gods will watch over you."

The team was nervous about this whole thing, but they knew they should help out. Blake passed by them, beckoning them to follow her out of Dragonsreach. "You should be thankful the Jarl has been kind to the four of you," she said as they walked down the streets of Whiterun. "And I must say that you four must be strong to be able to traverse Bleak Falls Barrow for the Dragonstone; not many wish to enter an ancient tomb for whatever reason, no matter how tempting their greed is either."

"Blake, what things do you remember?" Jaune asked.

"Hm? I remember nothing other than my name, and that I seem to be some kind of human, Khajiit halfbreed. Why do you ask, boy?" She glared at him with those piercing eyes of hers.

"Don't you think you've seen the four of us somewhere before?" Blake scratched the underside of her chin, which made her start purring.

"I don't know for sure," she admitted. "I think I may have met you guys before, but again, I don't know."

"Blake, what about Ruby, Weiss, and Yang?" Pyrrha asked. "Where are they?"

Blake stopped in her tracks, thinking hard about those three names. "Sorry, nothing comes up," she concluded. They were so stuck up in their conversation that they did not realize that they reached the guard barracks.

"Blake, it's time," said Irileth, snapping the Half-Khajiit from her daze. "Men, we march towards the Western Watchtower to find out what has happened to the survivors."

"Housecarl," called one soldier. "I heard that a dragon attacked the tower, is it true?"

"It may be, but whatever may have happened, we cannot cower and run from this threat. We will take on this dragon and kill it, eliminating the threat it possesses to our city." That got the soldiers worried, but they were not easy to sway from their duty as protectors of the city. Before they had a chance to leave, Aela from the Companions came to them, wishing to accompany them for assistance, as well as the glory of slaying a dragon. Everyone exited the city and headed west, with the destroyed watchtower in the short distance.

When they came within distance of the watchtower, they could see that it has been reduced to ruins, despite that two levels of it still stands. When they came within its areas, one Whiterun soldier ran out to greet them. "You need to be careful, two soldiers already got taken by the dragon when they tried to run for it!" he warned.

"We are here to assist you," Irileth declared. Everyone spread out across the ruins to find any survivors, but all they could find was broken stone and charred ruins of Gods-knows-what. They did not have much time to continue searching when they heard a mighty roar echo across the sky from the southern mountains. Everyone looked south to see a giant winged creature emerge from the mountain peak and fly towards them. "DRAGON!" Aela shouted, prompting everyone to draw their weapons, nock arrows, and ready spells.

"Make every arrow count and take down that winged beast!" Irileth ordered. Jaune has never felt such fear in his life; he is literally seeing the stories of fantasy that he has read since he was young come alive, and now it intends to kill him. His sword arm shook but then Pyrrha put a hand on his right shoulder.

"Don't worry, Jaune," she assured with a smile. "I will stay by your side to protect you." Jaune felt some of his courage return and his arm grew steady and determined. The dragon swooped over the crowd and flew back around. The soldiers, Irileth, Aela, and Pyrrha fired arrows as its passed whereas Ren fired a fireball at it, but their attacks did little damage to the beast.

"We need to force it to land!" Pyrrha yelled to everyone. While it seemed like a bad idea, the soldiers knew that bringing it down to their level will allow them to strike it with steel rather than arrows. "Ren, head up to the tower's roof for a better advantage point." Ren nodded and headed up. Now closer to the sky, he was able to hit the dragon more accurately with his spells.

However, this caught the dragon's attention so it paused its glide over the battlefield at the watchtower's roof, where it quickly snatched Ren in its jaw, but he activated his Semblance just in time, forcing back the dragon's jaws with him in its mouth. The dragon tried forcing its mouth closed, which it succeeded, but poor Ren fell from its jaw and tumbled down the spiraling stairway, where he crashed into a broken table and fell unconscious.

The dragon resumed its flight over the battlefield. As it passed over, it unleashed a devastating fire breath attack that consumed two soldiers and Jaune almost, if it not for Aela who tackled him to the ground out of range. "I can't keep rescuing you, Arc," she told him before getting back up.

Jaune felt humiliated. _How can I hope to defeat a dragon if I need to be rescued every time?_ he asked himself. Jaune sighed and retrieved his sword. He saw Pyrrha and Aela side by side firing arrows onto the dragon. _I need to prove that I am a capable warrior like I did in the Barrow._ Jaune sheathed his sword and shield and climbed upon a broken piece of stone and charged up a ball of lightning in his hand. As the dragon passed over, he unleashed a powerful lightning bolt onto its underbelly, making it roar out in pain. The dragon let out another roar that sounded like it was speaking something, but no one except Jaune heard it in the common tongue.

_"Foolish mortals!"_ the dragon roared. _"I, Mirmulnir, shall devour you all!"_ Jaune put his hand to his head and grunted as a stabbing pain filled his head.

"Jaune, are you alright?" Pyrrha called from afar.

"I-I'm fine, Pyrrha," he answered. For Jaune, the voice of the dragon now known as Mirmulnir felt strange, almost welcoming to him. He shook his head and resumed battle. The dragon turned around landed with a defining BOOM as the soldiers rushed at the beast with their weapons raised. One soldier was snatched in the beast's mighty jaws and then thrown aside like a rag doll. Though Jaune was afraid after seeing that soldier get chomped on and murdered, he knew he had to face the giant reptile head on. Gripping his ebony sword and steel shield tight, he ran past Pyrrha, Nora, Aela, and Blake and came to a halt before the dragon, now all alone since the soldiers retreated.

_"Ah, another mortal who thinks he can defeat me,"_ Mirmulnir spoke in the Dovah tongue. _"I hope you can entertain me unlike these soldiers, boy."_

"I swear I will defeat you, dragon," Jaune gritted his teeth. "I will make sure you never kill another person."

Mirmulnir let out a defying laugh. _"Such courage from a little cub,"_ he said in his tongue. _"Do not disappoint me now."_

"JAUNE!" Pyrrha cried, rushing for him until Aela halted her in place. "Let me go, Aela, or he will die!"

"This is his battle, Pyrrha Nikos," Aela said. "Unless he asks for our aid, all you will do is squash his pride."

"Pride will mean nothing if he's dead!"

The dragon Mirmulnir reeled his head back, charging a fiery breath attack and unleashed it onto Jaune. Sensing it too late, Jaune could do nothing but crouch down and hide behind his shield, thus allowing him to be engulfed in flames. Tears fell from Pyrrha's eyes at the mere thought of seeing Jaune as a crispy corpse, but when the flames were extinguished, Jaune was alive, save for some charred clothes and sooty hair.

Jaune rushed at Mirmulnir, who lunged his jaws at the boy, but the blond dodged to the side and sliced at his neck, making a large cut in the beast. "You will know true fear soon enough, Mirmulnir!" Jaune shouted as he dodged a claw swipe from the dragon and dug his sword into its neck, though it was not a fatal strike. Mirmulnir roared and struck Jaune square in his chest, knocking him down and separating his sword and shield from him. Jaune rolled around in the grass avoiding Mirmulnir's stomp attacks while frantically searching for his sword.

Pyrrha, Nora, and Blake broke from the crowd to aid Jaune. Nora slammed her warhammer into the dragon's side, prompting a roar of pain while Pyrrha and Blake jumped on top of the creature and stabbed their blades into the beast's back, allowing Jaune time to retrieve his weapons and escape the underside of the dragon. Ren appeared from the watchtower and threw a firebolt at Mirmulnir.

_"I am tired of you children!"_ Mirmulnir roared. _"I will kill you all and rend the flesh from your bones!"_ Mirmulnir shook back and forth, knocking Pyrrha and Blake onto the ground, where they rolled along the grass and stayed still. Two soldiers rushed to their aid and pulled them from the battlefield.

Aela, Irileth, and the remaining soldiers sniped the dragon from afar with arrows, but it seems that Mirmulnir has become far too interested in Jaune Arc instead. Mirmulnir snapped at Jaune every chance he could, but Jaune easily dodged each attack. With no choice left, Jaune dashed inside the watchtower and ran up the broken staircase to the rooftop, where Mirmulnir was waiting for him.

_"You have alluded me long enough, boy! Now it is time that I devour you!"_

"Like Hell you will!" Jaune shouted. Mirmulnir landed on the rooftop, and the battle commenced. Mirmulnir lashed forward with his fangs, but Jaune swung in an uppercut, striking Mirmulnir in the face and knocking him aside. The dragon swiped at the blond warrior with its claws, but Jaune's shield kept him protected, though the force knocked him down to the stone floor. Mirmulnir snatched up Jaune's shield in his jaws and shattered it into splinters, then let out a menacing roar at the boy. Mirmulnir pushed off the roof to hover a few feet away, reading a fiery breath attack that will surely consume Jaune in flames this time.

Jaune felt his courage rise up inside of himself. Sheathing his ebony blade, Jaune rushed at the dragon, leaping off the roof while letting out a battlecry. Jaune's hands found their way around the dragon's clawed foot, where he then began the grueling climb up to Mirmulnir's head while the dragon tried shaking him off. Jaune climbed upon the dragon's back and made a mad dash up to its head, where he leapt and dug his blade straight into Mirmulnir's head. The dragon let out an ear-piercing roar as its flight faltered, but it was not dead yet.

_"How can a mere mortal defeat me?!"_ Mirmulnir shouted. Jaune raised his blade high and plunged it into the dragon again, finally making its wings stop as they both fell to the earth below. Jaune detached from the dragon's body and fell for the ground, but Pyrrha dashed to the spot, catching him just in time. _"Dovahkiin! NO!"_ Finally, Mirmulnir moved no more and died on the spot.

"Jaune, are you alright?" Pyrrha asked, feeling his forehead.

"I'm feeling okay," he grunted in pain. Pyrrha smiled and hugged him tight.

"That was impressive," Blake noted as she stared at Mirmulnir's corpse. "Soldiers, tear off some these dragon scales; we can smelt them to create some tough armor." The soldiers obeyed and retrieved a large amount of dragon scales. Nearby, Nora and Ren took their time to catch their breath, though Ren felt a tad sore from falling down the staircase earlier.

"That. Was. Fun!" Nora shouted, hugging Ren close. He merely smiled at his hyperactive friend.

"I guess I owe you an apology," Aela said, strolling over to Jaune. "It seems you are no ordinary lad if you can kill a dragon on your own." She smiled at the blond lad, who smiled back and nodded in approval. With help from Pyrrha, Jaune rose to his feet battered and bloodied, but most importantly alive.

"Mara's Mercy, what is happening?" cried a soldier. Jaune and company looked at the dragon's dead body as they watched its skin evaporate in a glowing flame, leaving behind patches of scales and its bones, still shaped in its draconic form. The flames then turned into glowing wisps of wind, which mesmerized Jaune, beckoning him almost. The wind surrounded him, blinding him temporary as he fell to the ground gasping for air. The winds enveloped Jaune's entire body, then vanished into the air as a single word that Jaune did not recognize flashed in his mind: _"FUS."_

The rest of his team rushed to his aid, but Jaune stood up on his own. "By the Nine, you're…Dragonborn!" said a soldier.

"Dragonborn?" Jaune muttered. "What is a Dragonborn?"

"Ah yes, you're an outsider, after all," said another soldier. "The Dragonborn was a mortal that was born with the soul of a dragon. This dragon soul of his granted him great power, allowing him to master the dragon's Thu'um, or dragon shouts with mere ease. It would take a special man many years just to learn even one word of a shout, but the Dragonborn can master them instantly just by absorbing a dragon's soul, like you did."

"Aye, I remember the stories of the Dragonborn," said another. "My father would tell me the grand stories of how the Dragonborn defeated his foes with his shouts."

"Irileth, you are quiet. What say you?" Irileth huffed at the men.

"I suggest you soldiers believe in the strength of your sword rather than bedtime stories," she answered. "I see a dead dragon, and that's all that matters. So long as I have men who can fight, then I don't need some mythical Dragonborn.

"Whether Jaune is this Dragonborn or not," said Pyrrha. "He still killed the dragon, which demands a lot of strength, especially for him."

"The lad is strong, I'll give him that," said Aela. "But I saw how he fought against that beast and I can tell he needs a lot of training. Training that I am willing to give him." She winked at Jaune while saying that last sentence.

Blake knelt down in front of Jaune and looked at his wounds. "You'll need some medical treatment when we return to Whiterun," she told him. "When Jarl Balgruff learns it was you who defeated the dragon, he'll reward you greatly."

Jaune said nothing this entire time and only looked at his own hands. He was confused about all this. _How can I be some mystical being called a Dragonborn?_ he asked himself. Jaune thought back to that word he saw in his mind, thinking about shouting the word like the soldier said of the stories. "FUS!" he shouted, forcing a shockwave of energy from his lips that sent his teammates to the ground. He slapped his hands to his mouth when he saw what happened, surprising everyone.

"He is the Dragonborn!" yelled a soldier.

Pyrrha and Ren helped Jaune to his feet. After gathering their dead, the group made the trek back to Whiterun, just as the sun was starting to set. As they neared the gates of Whiterun, Jaune looked at the high mountain to the east, and that is when the clouds broke and the ground shook, and a bellowing voice boomed across the sky, hitting Jaune's ears the hardest: _"DOVAHKIIN!"_ Jaune fell to the ground and knew nothing more.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

When Jaune fell unconscious, the group carried his body back to Dragonsreach, where he was put to bedrest and watched over by a healer. The healer concluded that aside from the wounds he sustained in battle, he will make a swift recovery, though the heavy load of events of the day has worn him out, so he just needs sleep. Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren stayed by his bedside all day and into the early hours of night.

"What should we do now?" Pyrrha asked as she petted Jaune's hair. "We may have to wait a couple days for Jaune to fully recover, and what then?"

"There's still Winterhold," Ren mentioned. "But with Jaune in this state, even if he were to recover, who knows how well he can perform."

"I spoke with the Jarl a while ago," interjected Nora. "He said that the voice we heard from the mountains were the Greybeards or something, and that they were calling for Jaune to come to their sanctuary up there to train to become stronger. That's basically what he said. He also gave us a bag of cash worth at least 300 septims all together as a reward for our help and for slaying that dragon."

"Now what? Winterhold or these Greybeards?" Pyrrha questioned.

Ren hummed to himself for a minute. "How about we split up and do both? Nora and I can head northeast to Winterhold to find some answers while you stay here with Jaune and you both go to the mountain."

Pyrrha got up from her seat. "Are you sure, Ren? We don't know how dangerous it is up north. Besides, that strange power Jaune demonstrated at the watchtower doesn't mean anything. How can he even be this Dragonborn person when he's not even a native to Skyrim?"

"I do not know, but think about it. We magically appear in this land, and dragons appear, which, according to the books, have not been around for eras, and now people are calling Jaune a Dragonborn, a person who is linked to the dragons. We are connected here in some way, and maybe those Greybeards can shed some light on it all.

"Also, do you remember those guys who attacked us on the streets of Vale? One of them said that they are under the orders of Alduin, whom we discover was a vastly powerful and ancient dragon that nearly destroyed the world of Tamriel long ago."

"Pyrrha, if Jaune can grow stronger from these people, then we might as well give it a shot," Nora added.

Pyrrha sighed, knowing that her friends were right. "Alright, I'll stay here. Just promise that you'll be careful out there." She divided up the reward money evenly for them so that the pairs had enough money for food, lodgings, and whatever else. Ren and Nora nodded and gave their friend a hug before leaving for their house to rest before setting out the next day. Pyrrha stayed by Jaune's bedside and kept watch over him, despite that sleep was soon overtaking her. She eventually fell asleep in her chair.

In the dead of the night, four figures wearing dark green cloaks and wearing matching ranger clothes, boots, and gloves, but in various colors, entered Dragonsreach and headed up the staircase to Jaune's room. The leader tried the door, but found it locked. One of the four, a woman with long crimson hair spilling from under her hood and a longsword at her hip slipped a lockpick in and picked the lock, allowing them entry. Entering the room, three of of them stood at the end of Jaune's bed while the big brute of the group gently shook Pyrrha awake, who jumped to her feet and drew her spearsword.

"Hush, child," said the leader, waving his hand at her, which was enveloped in red energy. Pyrrha instantly felt at ease, sliding her weapon back into its sheath against her own will. "We are not here to harm you."

"What do you want then?" Pyrrha asked with a death stare. She was not going to be polite to someone who just used magic to force her hand. "I'm kinda tired right now, and my friend needs a lot of rest."

One of the four, who's feminine figure shone through her dark brown and green ranger clothes, strolled over to Jaune's side and rested her hand upon his cheek. Under the hood, Pyrrha could see short blond hair and clear white skin. "Ah, so this is the one Alduin's Wall predicted would come," she whispered in a hushed voice. "It is wonderful to see you, Jaune Arc."

"Maura…" said the redhead, but the leader held his hand up to hush her. "But Driswen…

"Let her be," he said.

"What do you want?" Pyrrha repeated, trying to ignore the blonde woman who kept brushing Jaune's cheek.

"We are here to tell you something very important, Pyrrha Nikos," said Driswen, who lowered his hood, revealing his Elvish heritage. "You have learned today that your friend, Jaune Arc, is a Dragonborn."

"I know that, but what I want to know right now is how you four know."

The crimson-haired woman lowered her hood, revealing herself as Julianna, the woman Jaune bumped into the other day. "It is a pleasure to meet you again, Pyrrha," she said with a fair smile. "As for how we know, we have a lot of inside people who watch things for us and relay information to us."

"You can trust us, however," said the brute, revealing himself as Enthwos. "We are on your side in all this so long as you are as well."

"Maura, please," said Driswen. Maura left Jaune's side and went back to the group. "Anyway, while Jaune Arc may be the Dragonborn, his skills in combat are…unpolished, to say the least. Defeating the World-Eater Alduin is no simple task, and he will have to grow in both strength and spirit, training his sword arm and his mastery of the Thu'um. You must take him to the Greybeards on High Hrothgar. There, he can learn more of his power and his destiny. He must also train in sword combat as well."

"I have been doing that for the past year at Beacon," Pyrrha explained.

"And while you may have been doing a tremendous job, he needs to learn more. There are more than just giant spiders, the undead, and dragons in this world, and not knowing how to fight each creature will be the difference between life and death."

Pyrrha lowered her head, thinking of what sort of monsters he could be talking about. "How do I know I can really trust you people?" she asked, not taking Enthwos' words seriously.

"My master gave you four your weapons, for one thing," Driswen answered. Pyrrha stared at her spearsword. "He passed by Blacksmith Alvor's house during your first night and gave those weapons to him." Pyrrha stayed silent, knowing that she probably has no choice but to trust these people. One by one, the four rangers exited the room; The blonde one named Maura, still with her hood up, gave the sleeping Jaune a small smile before leaving, leaving Driswen the last one.

"When you return from High Hrothgar with Jaune Arc, we will have a gift to aid the two of you waiting," Driswen said before leaving without another word. Pyrrha sat down on the bed, noting that Jaune slept through the entire conversation, and let out a sigh.

Upon leaving Dragonsreach, the four rangers stopped by Jorrvaskr, where they went up to the deserted Skyforge smithing area, picked the chest there, and stole away the dragon scales the group brought back.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ren and Nora woke up to the bright sun and packed for their long journey, taking a good supply of food, fur coats, and their bed rolls. They bid Pyrrha farewell and a safe journey, which she wished the same, and they left the city. By afternoon, Jaune woke up, only to be embraced in a bear hug by Pyrrha. When he dressed and gathered his sword, they walked down to the throne room, where Jaune was greeted by the Jarl, who expressed his thanks for slaying the dragon.

"Thank you, my Jarl," said Pyrrha. "But we must go prepare for our journey to High Hrothgar."

"High what?" said a puzzled Jaune.

"Ah yes, the home of the Greybeards…"

"The Grey-who?"

"…They are surely awaiting your arrival, Dragonborn. I wish you safe passage on your quest." Pyrrha took Jaune away, but they were stopped at the doors by Blake.

"So you really are the mythical Dragonborn," she said.

"I guess I am," Jaune admitted.

"I can understand why you're confused, Jaune. No one has seen a Dragonborn in ages; they were thought to have died long ago, probably since Martin Septim sacrificed his life to end the Oblivion War."

"What about you, Blake? What will you do now?" Pyrrha asked.

"I have recovered a few memories since the battle; seeing Jaune in battle might have triggered their return. I can remember growing up in a little town, and I had a friend with blond hair and blue eyes, like Jaune. As for now, I shall stay here at Whiterun and serve Jarl Balgruuf."

"Wait, I thought you grew up among the White Fang?" said Jaune.

"Hm? The White Fang?"

"Never mind," interjected Pyrrha. "We must be going now." Pyrrha dragged Jaune all the way back to their house.

"What was that about, Pyrrha?" Jaune questioned when they got inside. Pyrrha made him sit down in a chair so he could rest a little.

"I have a feeling that the Blake that lives up at Dragonsreach is not the Blake we know from Vale," she told him. "I feel like maybe she is the Blake of this world, like some alternative universe thing."

"Like from a science fiction show back home?" Jaune suggested, making Pyrrha nod. "Then why is it that Emerald is here in Skyrim like us?"

"Yep. Maybe back home, Blake is with Team RWBY, and they are wondering where we are right now. As for Emerald, I am unsure, but we should try to find her again when we can." Pyrrha could see the confusion in Jaune's eyes. "Either way, we should stop worrying about Blake and focus on reaching High Hrothgar."

"Why must I go to this place?" Jaune asked, standing up.

Pyrrha let out a sigh. "We have to go so you can learn more of the power of the Dragonborn. By going, you can become stronger, Jaune."

"I don't care, I just want to go home. I want to just worry about my grades, fighting Grimm, avoiding Cardin, and trying to win Weiss' heart." Those last words hit Pyrrha hard in the heart, but she hid her pain.

"But Jaune, you have to go. We are tied to this world whether we like it or not." Pyrrha then explained everything that happened the previous night, the Rangers, Ren and Nora leaving for Winterhold, and of the Dragonborn. "…and that's it. Jaune, you may very well be the only one capable of stopping the dragons from taking over the world of Tamriel. I'm sorry to lay all this on you."

Jaune collapsed in a chair again. "So, this Dragonborn was some incredible warrior who could battle dragons with the same power they use," he muttered.

"Yes, and the Greybeards will be able to help you grow stronger by training you to wield the power of the Thu'um more effectively."

Jaune looked up at his friend for about a minute, then he nodded. "Okay. I'll go. But first, I think I should take up Aela's offer and train with her a little before we set out."

"Good. I'll pack for the journey and meet you at their place." Pyrrha agreed to that and went upstairs to begin packing while Jaune went out.

When Jaune reached Jorrvaskr, he went around to the back where he found Aela, Farkas, and a few other Companions at training, attacking one another and the practice dummies that lined the far wall. "Ah, so you recovered at last," Aela remarked upon seeing him. "What brings you here, mighty cub?"

"I was wondering if you would be willing to train me to use a sword better," Jaune answered. Aela rose from her seat and encircled him, gazing at every inch of his build.

"I suppose I can teach you a few things, that is if you are willing to learn," she said to him. She took his hand and led him out onto the training grounds, where she drew her sword and shield, prompting him to draw his ebony blade from his hip. "Just focus on blocking all my sword strikes for now," she said as she lunged at him.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Not even an hour later, Pyrrha finished packing for the long journey. In both packs, there was plenty of fruit, some uncooked meat, their water canteens, torch sticks, flint and steel, a change of clothes, two maps, a compass, some potions, bandages, and their bed rolls. She tied a quiver of arrows to her own pack and grabbed her bow. "I hope this will be enough," she commented to herself. Slinging her pack onto her back, she carried Jaune's pack in hand and left the house, heading up to Jorrvaskr. There, she found Jaune and Aela stuck in a sword clash.

"Not bad, Jaune," Aela remarked, then broke the clash, throwing him back. Jaune regained his footing and blocked a vertical strike from Aela, then a horizontal. He ducked under a sword swipe and swung back, finding her shield instead. She bashed him with her shield, knocking him back, but he was not finished yet.

"Use your Aura, Jaune!" Pyrrha called. Jaune tried focusing on drawing out his Aura, but he could not, and thus was forced to block a slash from Aela. He forced her into a clash, but Aela merely smirked and sweep-kicked him, knocking his blade from his hand and found hers pointed at his chest.

"Yield," she said, signaling the end of the battle. Jaune groaned as he got to his feet and retrieved his sword. He went over to Pyrrha, who took a look at his body. "That was quite an impressive fight, I must say," Aela complimented as she sheathed her sword. "You have some flaws here and there, but you fight with bravery and determination."

"Thanks, Aela," Jaune added.

"It seems that it is time for you to go on your journey now. Let me leave you with a parting gift." Aela went over to a weapons rack and took an iron shield, which she gave to him. "Here, you'll need a replacement for the one the dragon destroyed."

"Thank you, Aela," Jaune said again, this time with a bow.

"And be sure to come back if you want another training session." Aela drew close to Jaune and gave him a kiss on the cheek (which made Pyrrha look away) and a departing smile. "Good luck on your journey and future battles, Jaune Arc."

With that done, Jaune and Pyrrha left Whiterun and began their long journey east for the town of Ivarstead, the milling town at the base of the Throat of the World, where High Hrothgar sits. The two warriors do not know what dangers awaits them along their journey, but they know that they have to endure them to become stronger, wiser, and more courageous.

"Ready, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked as they crossed the bridge leading away from the Whiterun farmlands.

Jaune looked up at the tall mountain, then let slip a grin of excitement. "I'm ready, Pyrrha. I'm ready to become stronger now." She gave him a smile and they set off on their new adventure.

**CHAPTER END.**


	4. Road to Ivarstead

**Chapter 4: Road to Ivarstead**

In the days since Team JNPR disappeared from Vale, tension has risen around Beacon. Team RWBY have been going out into the city to search for their friends while gathering any information they could gather, whether from the city's databases or Junior's nightclub. Both Jaune and Pyrrha's families came to Ozpin one morning to demand the whereabouts of their children, though neither Nora or Ren's families appeared at all.

Alongside Mr and Mrs Arc was five of Jaune's sisters, Rouge, Blanc, Verte, Bleu, and Noir, ages eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty, and twenty-two years old respectively. The entire Arc and Nikos family gathered in Ozpin's office where Ozpin and Glynda met them. "Hello, Arcs and Nikos," Ozpin greeted in a somewhat cheerful tone.

"Don't give me that tone, Oz," snapped Mrs Clair Arc. "I want to know where my son is, or so help Oum, you will rue the day you crossed me." Mr Gris Arc had to hold back his wife.

"I'm sorry, Ozpin," he apologized. "My wife has been on edge the last few days since Jaune disappeared. I'm very worried about him too, of course."

"I'm so worried about my little girl," Mrs Pandora Nikos. "I know she's a strong warrior and all, but to not know where she is…" Tears formed in her eyes and she broke down crying. Epimeth Nikos went over to console his wife while their eleven year old daughter, Thyia, sat by herself, worried about her older sister.

"Look, if I knew exactly where your children were, I would have told you days ago," Ozpin argued. "All I know is that several days ago, they went out into Vale to see a movie, according to their friends Team RWBY who live across from them. They reported that they had not returned later that day or the next. A police search was put in order a few days ago, but they have turned up nothing, though a few people have mentioned seeing them in the streets."

"How is it four teenagers could have disappeared out of the kingdom of Vale?" interjected Noir, who has been taking university courses to be an investigator. I went to the Vale Information/Database Center and discovered that neither Jaune or the other three ever took an airship outside of the kingdom. There are no transactions on either of their Scrolls concerning airfare, nor was there any security footage of them at the airship stations the day they disappeared."

"I can see that your daughter is quite intelligent," Glynda commented with a light smile. Noir tilted her glasses and nodded at Glynda.

"Thank you, Ms Goodwitch."

"If Liath was here, she would be able to help a little," commented Clair, thinking of her twenty-four year old Huntress of a daughter. "And Violet, if only she wasn't so absorbed in her novels and come for this family crisis." Violet is the oldest of the Arc children, being twenty-six.

"Dear, just stay calm. I'm sure Jaune is alright."

"How can I stay calm when my poor boy is most likely cold, hungry, lost, scared, or even dead?!" she screamed.

"Mother, please sit down and relax," said Blanc. "Can we get some water for her?" Ozpin nodded and went away for a minute before coming back with a tall glass of water, which Bleu downed in seconds followed by a light burp. "I am worried about Jaune as well, mother," Blanc continued. "We all are, but screaming about it won't help. It makes no sense that they could just disappear in the city despite not buying airship tickets out of the kingdom. The police have not found them anywhere. And frankly, I doubt Jaune or his teammates have any reason to want to disappear from everyone. Unless…" She looked at her father and nodded her head, which he understood right away.

"Oz, I have a confession to make. Jaune is not an official student of Beacon. He has always had trouble trying to utilize his Aura and he has never discovered his Semblance, despite having lots of help from Claire. His fighting skill lack depth, and his reaction speed is slow. I felt saddened for my only son, who dreamed of becoming a Huntsman and a brave warrior like his grandfather, so I dug up some fake transcripts to Beacon and helped sneak him in." Gris hung his head low in shame, waiting for Ozpin's answer.

"I know all about his transcripts," Ozpin said, surprising the entire Arc family. "I have always known, even before he stepped foot onto Beacon grounds." Ozpin gave Gris a cunning grin. "Do not underestimate the Great and Powerful Ozpin, Arcs. I allowed Jaune to stay at Beacon to train and learn because…because when I saw him, I saw the potential for him to become a great Huntsman, and that is why he stays. That is why I assigned him leader of his own team; I have this sort of knack for this sort of thing."

"You're a shifty man, Oz," Rouge commented. "If Jaune has such potential, why is he so clumsy and getting bad grades? We've seen his tests and he sends letters home every week."

"I shall answer that another time. But now it is time for the Nikos family to make an input." He waved his hand at the family to proceed.

Pandora's brunet husband stepped forward. "You allowed a boy to sneak his way into your school and you put him in charge of my daughter? A girl who is far more talented and capable of being a leader must obey a fluke of a Huntsman?" Epimeth felt his anger rising, but the redheaded Pandora took his hand, which helped him calm down.

"Dear, while it seems frustrating, Ozpin does have a good reason for his decision, like he always does. Besides, we're getting off topic. Ozpin, wherever our children may be, do you believe that they are safe?"

Ozpin rubbed his chin for a minute. "I just know it somehow. And I know that both Jaune and Pyrrha are completely safe, wherever they are."

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ruby, Weiss, and Yang sat in their room, pouring over a map of Vale. "Okay, so the Valen Theater is the closest to Beacon, and yet Jaune and the others were last seen here," Yang noted, drawing a circle around the theater's central area.

Ruby sat by herself on Weiss' bed with Zwei by her side. "I hope Jaune is alright," she mumbled. "He's so fragile and weak…"

"Ruby, Jaune may be a bumbling fool at times, but don't underestimate his fighting skills," Weiss told her. "Believe me, I've seen him in action before, and when he gets serious, he's one tough cookie."

"I could use a cookie right now…"

"Did I hear Little Red saying she needed cookies?" said a voice. Blake closed the door behind her with her book under one arm and a plate of cookies in hand. She smiled as Ruby took the cookies from her and devoured them.

"Find anything in the library computers, Blake?" Yang asked.

"None. You should've seen Jaune and Pyrrha's families leave a while ago. Their mothers were in tears, and half of Jaune's sisters wore depressing faces," she answered.

"I heard that they just up and disappeared in Vale that day," Weiss noted. As a member of the Schnee family, I took a close look at the airship transactions and found no tickets purchased from either member of JNPR, so they must still be in Vale somewhere."

"So does that mean it's time to go looking for more information?" Ruby asked getting excited for an adventure.

"Sounds like it, Ruby," Weiss said with a small grin.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Due northeast of Whiterun, Ren and Nora were currently followed the river running from the north. Along the bank, they stopped for a rest, where Ren poured over the map."Okay, Winterhold lies at the far northeast of here," he noted. Nora was barely paying attention as she was splashing around in the river, hoping to catch a fish for herself. "And this river we are following leads straight to Windhelm, which lies south of Winterhold. So by following the river, we can reach Windhelm by nightfall and stay there for the night. Nora, please pay attention."

"Yes, Ren," she answered, skipping back over to him. The wind began to pick up, and a gust of wind slashed across Ren's body, chilling him to the bone. He buttoned up his fur coat and threw up his hood. Nora buttoned herself up as well. "It seems to be getting colder out here," she muttered, her teeth beginning to chatter.

Ren sighed and pocketed the map. "Next time, don't go splashing in the cold water." He gave her a stern look, but he lightened up when he saw her shivering in place. He went over and ignited a ball of fire in his hand, helping Nora warm up a little. Suddenly, a loud roar echoed across the sky. "Nora, hide!" Ren ordered. The two dashed to a nearby boulder and hid behind it just as a large dragon screeched across the sky, heading south across the land.

"Oh no, I hope Jaune and Pyrrha don't run into it," Ren muttered.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

At that moment, Jaune and Pyrrha were heading east and the Valtheim Towers came into view. "Look at those, Pyrrha," Jaune said, pointing towards them. "The landmarks in Skyrim are breathtaking, aren't they?"

"Yes, I must agree," she said, giving him a smile. They trekked on, heading straight for the towers. When the reached the tower doors, they were stopped by a Nord in leather armor.

"Halt, those who want to pass the towers must pay a toll," she said with a sharp tongue that could only be matched by the sharp steel sword in her hand.

"What? A toll?" Jaune complained.

"It's not much, just about fifty septims."

"That's a lot!" Pyrrha pulled Jaune away towards the mountain rocks.

"Jaune, I noticed an archer up on the collapsed roof," she whispered, looking towards the rooftops where a burly Orc with a bow watched them. "These towers are in ruins, and I'm betting these people are bandits who extort travelers. I say we kill them and take anything of value, and free this path from their reign."

"Pyrrha, how can you talk of murdering people?" he argued. "I know we have killed people before, but that was when our lives were in danger, unlike now. How can you decide so easily whether to kill someone?"

Pyrrha looked away. "I…I'll tell you another time. Please, Jaune, I don't want to imagine what these bandits will do to someone who is unable to pay their toll." Pyrrha's mind raced with the different possibilities, and it frightened her.

"Okay," he said, making her look him straight in the eye. "If it will help other people, then let's do it." He shrugged off his pack, which Pyrrha did the same and walked back to the Nord.

"Decided yet, or would you rather turn back?" she spat.

Jaune cracked his right hand, and in a flash, his ebony sword was in his hand. The Nord was caught off guard and found the black blade in her chest. "We're under attack!" she yelled out before Jaune pulled his blade out and slashed across her chest, killing her.

"Pyrrha, go after the archer up on the roof," he ordered. "Take out any other archers up there while I work on the fighters."

"Remember that you have your Thu'um too." He nodded and they kicked open the gate together and ran inside and up the broken staircase. They met the rooftop archer on the stairway with an arrow nocked. Upon seeing the pair, he let loose his arrow, but Pyrrha moved it aside with her polarity, taking him by surprise followed by a spearsword to the gut. Jaune headed for the bridge while Pyrrha went for the roof with her bow. She spotted six bandits wearing leather armor and carrying swords, maces, and hand axes. One of the bandits had a large steel warhammer, which could spell trouble for Jaune. She spotted an archer on the opposite tower and nocked an arrow. Taking in effect the trajectory, she fired, where the arrow struck the bandit archer in his neck, killing him. She spotted another archer on the boulders behind the tower to the right and took him out, then she headed down to aid Jaune.

On the bridge, two bandits with maces and axes ran at Jaune. "FUS!" he shouted, bellowing a large energy field outward, which knocked one bandit off the bridge to his death and the other to stumble to the floor, opening him up. Jaune bore down on the bandit, crossing swords. The bandit fought back fiercely, but Jaune was stronger. Jaune swung his shield into the bandit's head, knocking him asunder, then followed with a stab to the chest. Pyrrha came in behind him.

"Nice shouting there," she complimented. "You see the brute with the warhammer, right?"

"Yep, I see him charging for us now. I'll keep him distracted, and when I break his guard open, you strike, got it?" Pyrrha nodded and hung back close to him. Jaune rushed in with his shield raised. The brute swung his warhammer horizontal, but Jaune leapt back, dodging it by a hair's length. He ducked in with a sword strike, but the brute blocked it with his weapon's shaft. The brute fought back Jaune and knocked him backwards, raising his warhammer to crush the teen into pulp. "NOW, PYRRHA!" Jaune shouted. The brute realized his blunder of being distracted with Jaune and looked up to see Pyrrha leaping over the fallen boy. She plunged her spearsword directly into the brute's chest, splashing blood onto armor and stone.

Jaune and Pyrrha cheered over their victory and high-fived one another. Gathering up their packs, they rummaged through the chests and bodies, taking about seventy septims and a few fruits and a couple gems, which Pyrrha poured into a pouch for herself. She also replenished her quiver from one of the archers she killed. While crossing across the bridge, she found Jaune standing in the middle, staring off into the east horizon. She glanced down at a nearby body and let out a sigh. "Jaune, I'm sorry I made you kill these people," she said.

"It's nothing," he told her. "Like you said, now that these bandits are dead, all travelers passing through here will not have to suffer from their toll." He looked at her a heartfelt smile. "C'mon, let's try to reach a good place to stop before nightfall." Pyrrha nodded and they headed across the bridge, but then a loud roar filled the sky. The pair stopped dead in their tracks at the sound.

"Could it be…?" Pyrrha muttered. Jaune slipped off his pack and looked towards the northern mountain range. From over the mountain tops, a dragon flew overhead, letting out another roar as it flew over the teens. It doubled back towards them, knowing full well that Jaune was there.

"DRAGON!" Jaune shouted, drawing his sword and shield. "TAKE IT DOWN!" Pyrrha drew her bow and fired an arrow into the dragon, and while it did not seem to register to the dragon, it did a little damage nonetheless. Jaune ran out onto the bridge. "FUS!" he shouted, sending a force of energy that barely made the dragon flinch.

"_Ha ha! Do not believe that a tiny shout can faze me, Dovahkiin,_" laughed the dragon. "_You are but a hatchling compared to I._"

"We shall see," Jaune warned. The dragon flew close to try to snatch Jaune in its mouth, but Jaune either sidestep its bite attack or slashed his sword across its face. Pyrrha chose to attack from afar with her bow and fireballs, which did a considerate amount of damage to the beast. Jaune realized that in this environment, the dragon has little room to maneuver with the bridge in the way, which could prove disastrous to the pair if destroyed. The dragon lunged forward for another bite attack, but Jaune jabbed his sword straight into its jaw as it neared, making it reel back in pain. Jaune saw his opportunity and slung his shield onto his shoulder. Before Pyrrha could anticipate his next move, he leapt off the stone bridge and onto the dragon's head. He raised his sword high while it was dazed and plunged it directly into its skull, silencing the dragon forever.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha screamed, rushing out onto the bridge for him. "Grab my hand!" She stretched out her hand for him, but the dragon's wings had already faltered, and it fell into the rushing river with Jaune. "JAUNE!" She watched him be taken away in the river. She was about to jump in to rescue him when she remembered their packs. "_Even if I rescued him, we need our supplies to survive afterwards,_" she thought. "Fuck!" she cursed, and ran back to the doors. She slung both packs over her shoulder and dove out a open window and onto solid ground again, then broke into a sprint.

Pyrrha applied her Aura to her feet, allowing her to run faster as she dove off a cliff for a short fall to get closer to the riverbed. She spotted Jaune and the dead dragon's corpse thrash about in the rushing water a little bit ahead of her. "JAUNE!" she cried out, reaching a hand out for him. Out in the water, Jaune saw Pyrrha's distinct red hair and tried to cry out for her, but the rushing waters took him under. Underwater, he watched as the dragon dissolved into bones, yet stayed together, and the whirling winds were unconsciously absorbed into him, granting him the dragon's soul. This proved hazardous, for now, the swirling skeleton caught hold of one of Jaune's legs, trapping him against it. Jaune tried to free himself, but with all the tumbling, it proved difficult.

Pyrrha found that she could not keep up with the rushing river, as she watched the dragon's skeleton tumble over a waterfall and out of sight. Tears formed in her eyes as her pace slowed down, and she ended up tripping over a rock, landing face first in the dirt. She pounded the ground with her fist and wept. "Jaune…" she stuttered.

Far away from Pyrrha's location, Jaune began to fade away into darkness underwater. He desperately tried to hold in his breath, but he already felt himself beginning to slip away. the dragon's skeleton soon came to a slow drift in the river, but Jaune still could not unhook his leg from its ribcage. As his eyes came to a close, he saw a shadowy figure in the water swimming for him. A hand reached out for him, but he had already faded away.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Within a few hours, night had fallen across the sky. Far to the east, down the river, a lonely fire could be seen at a distance. At the campfire, an unconscious Jaune laid close to the fire warming up while his rescuer was off somewhere. A few minutes pass, and his rescuer returns with firewood, her black cloak shrouding her face. She threw a couple sticks into the fire, making it grow, and went to Jaune's side. She made her hand glow with a healing spell and caressed it over his chest. "You've taken a number of bumps and scratches," she whispered to him. "You should be thankful Driswen ordered me to keep a close watch on you and that Pyrrha Nikos," Maura told him.

Maura lowered her hood, revealing long blond hair and blue eyes. Not only that, her ears were long and pointy, signaling her heritage as a Wood Elf. "You should also be thankful that I'm an incredible sorceress as well, else your wounds would have taken longer to heal. Your little minor healing spell that you and Pyrrha know would take a long while to heal these." Maura went to a small canister on her belt and uncorked it. She dripped a strange red liquid from it onto a big cut on Jaune's chest, which began to come together and heal nearly instantly.

"There, that should take care of you. Try to be more careful, Jaune Arc, though I know you won't with the long journey ahead of you." Maura's head shot up and looked back. She sensed Pyrrha closing in on them, thanks to the lone fire. "Well, I better go now. Good luck, Jaune Arc." Maura reached down and kissed Jaune's cheek and laid a yellow flower near his hand. With a wave of her hand, she disappeared into yellow wisps of light and vanished into the trees.

Pyrrha saw the fire from afar, and sprinted straight for it. When she came into view, she spotted Jaune lying near the fire and rushed towards him, sliding to the ground before him and took him in her arms. "Oh, Jaune," she whispered, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Thank Oum that you're alright." Pyrrha merely held him close to her, and he began to come to.

"Pyrrha?" he groaned. Pyrrha's mouth curled into a wide smile and she hugged him closer. "Pyrrha, what happened? Last thing I remember was being underwater with her leg caught in the dragon's skeleton, and then nothing."

Pyrrha saw the yellow flower and picked it up. "It looks like someone rescued you," she said, now noticing that his wounds were fully healed. "Whoever they were, they are an expert healer too."

The two decided to rest there for the night and move out in the morning. They cooked some of the meat for dinner and drank some of their water. Pyrrha took the first watch to give Jaune some extra rest after what happened today. Pyrrha's mind ran wild over who was it that had saved Jaune. She suspected that maybe it was a random traveler, but what traveler would risk their life to save some random person? She gave up wondering and instead prayed her thanks to the Divines of Tamriel for sending someone to rescue Jaune.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Far away from the campsite, Maura materialized back into human form and began her trek down the pathway. "I see you rescued the boy," said a man's voice, making her stop in her tracks.

"Master, is that you?" Maura asked, spying a man leaning against a tree. Her master was shorter than Maura, but his title is not matched by his height. He pushed himself from the tree, his black cloak swirling around him and hiding his face. Like his followers, he was clad in ranger clothing, though his were a dark red and green. A longsword with a gold hilt wrapped in black leather around the grip hung at his hip, and his brown leather boots boomed against the stone path.

"I know you were assigned to watch over the boy for now, but do not baby him," he said, pointing a black, fingerless glove at her. "Jaune Arc will not grow stronger if he must rely on others to save him."

"B-But he was drowning, sire," Maura argued. "Pyrrha Nikos was too far away, and he would have lasted long trapped in the dragon's ribcage, so I–"

"Silence!" he hissed, making her shrink back. His teeth clenched up, but he soon breathed easy. "Your act is dully noted, but he must survive on his own. If he does not grow stronger, then he will be no match against Alduin. His dragon kills so far have all been just blind stupidity, nothing more. Potential is wasted if not used correctly."

Maura dropped to one knee. "Forgive me, sire."

"Rise up, Maura, for you are forgiven." He extended his hand and she took it, rising up off the ground. "We shall return to our home. There, we can check if Somusli has finished working on the dragonscales you picked up." The master could see something in Maura's eye. "You will meet Jaune Arc again, I promise."

"Thank you, sire," Maura said a bow. Together, they headed west for the Falkreath region.

**–The Next Morning–**

Waking up well-rested, Jaune and Pyrrha ate a quick breakfast and began the journey south for Ivarstead, the town at the bottom of the mountain. They traveled across the green forests for a couple hours, stopping to take a short break or to check the map and compass. They encounter minor creatures, usually a few wolves, but a couple times they ran in a lonely bandit that threatened to kill them if they did not hand over their coin purse. Pyrrha took it upon herself to kill them and take their purses for themselves.

"While I appreciate you getting us more money, isn't it kind of wrong to be killing people and stealing their purses?" Jaune questioned.

Pyrrha juggled a small coin purse in her hand. "Well, since we are killing criminals and stealing their purses, which I guarantee that they stole themselves, I consider it being a good citizen."

Jaune did not respond back to that comment, for they suddenly heard a scream through the trees. Drawing their blades, they dashed through the trees and came upon an interesting scene. A priestess was hiding behind a hulking man wearing a Stormcloak cuirass, fur gauntlets, fur boots, a Stormcloak helm, and he was swinging around a large steel broadsword. He was surrounded by four bandits, whom were all wearing fur armor, though one, an Orc, had on Orcish armor and had a large Orcish battleaxe.

Though Jaune felt hesitant about helping a Stormcloak, he knew they could not turn away especially with a priestess there. He silently directed Pyrrha to take position on the opposite side of the bandits while he hid on the other. He gave a bird call, which was the signal, and he and Pyrrha leapt out. Jaune decapitated one bandit in the surprise attack, and Pyrrha killed another with a stab in the gut. The remaining bandits knew they were doomed, but it was too late for them. The Orc bandit the Stormcloak was fighting grew enraged, and he put the pressure on the soldier. The other bandit charged at Jaune, but the teen ducked under the axe swipe and pushed the bandit down onto the ground. With him down, he plunged his blade into the man's back, killing him. Jaune charged at the Orc, but in his fury, the Orc grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him a good distance. Pyrrha charged up a ball of fire and threw it, striking the Orc in the back, distracting it temporarily. This gave the soldier an opening, and he swung his broadsword into the Orc's neck, splattering blood onto himself and on the ground.

"Th-Thank you so much!" cried the priestess, coming out from behind her protector. "If you two didn't come along, who knows what would have happened."

"It was no trouble," Jaune commented. The priestess ran over and hugged him tight, giving him a kiss on the cheek. When she drew away, Jaune got a good look at her face under her hood, where he spotted two long bunny ears. "Velvet?"

The priestess lowered her hood, revealing herself. Jaune and Pyrrha confirmed that she does indeed look like second-year Huntress and Rabbit Faunus Velvet Scarletina. "I do not know how you know my name, but nonetheless, I am eternally grateful for you, and may the Goddess Kynareth bless you both for your good deeds."

The Stormcloak removed his helmet, revealing himself as Yatsuhashi, Velvet's teammate back home in Vale. Without saying a word, he walked over and shook hands with Jaune and Pyrrha, clearly not recognizing them.

"So, what are you two doing out here in the wilderness?" Pyrrha asked.

"Well, I am currently heading to Whiterun's Temple of Kynareth. I was at Windhelm and requested aid from the Jarl for traveling, but he refused to help me because Kynareth is commonly associated with the Imperial Legion."

"That's horrible," Pyrrha commented.

"Yes, but Yatsuhashi, who happens to be one of Jarl Ulfric's elite soldiers, offered to escort me safely to Whiterun by himself, free of charge, despite that he would be entering into Imperial territory."

Pyrrha went to her belt and pulled a coin purse that she took from a bandit recently and tossed it to Velvet. "Here, take it. When you get to Whiterun, buy Yatsuhashi a drink commemorating his bravery and kind heart." Velvet nodded and she and Yatsuhashi disappeared over the hills, giving the two warriors a final wave goodbye.

Jaune and Pyrrha continued their journey, and it appeared to be smooth sailing as well, for they encountered no more bandits, wolves, or anything dangerous, though they still kept their guard up. The afternoon sun basked in the sky just as they came over a hillside, where the small mining town of Ivarstead laid before them. Even from afar, Jaune and Pyrrha could see Lake Geir adjacent to the town, with a fork of the Darkwater River pouring through a sawmill in the town, where the river then joined the White River out. As they came to the outskirts of town, the pair of Huntsmen felt their breath slip away as they stared up at the tallest mountain in Skyrim, the Throat of the World, which made them feel so small and insignificant.

As they strolled through town, Pyrrha took note of everyone and everything. Few reacted to them, and across the river, she could spy a broken down house. "The townspeople looked miserable and even terrified," she told Jaune, who spotted a farmer who looked like he was going to the chopping block. "Something is wrong in this town."

"I can see an inn, maybe we can get some information about what's going on," he noted, pointing to the "Vilemyr Inn." Inside, they were greeted by the owner, Wilhelm.

"Welcome to Ivarstead," he greeted as they walked over to him. "Judging from your clothes and weapons, I'd say that you two are travelers. Lovers, even." That last comment made Jaune adn Pyrrha blush. "I'm just joking with you two," he laughed. "Sorry, with things the way they are, I try to stay cheerful."

"What has happened to this town?" Pyrrha inquired. "Everyone seems miserable even though the day is bright."

"Well, it's due to the Shroud Hearth Barrow that lies to the east of town nearby. A lot of us here believe it to be cursed, for we keep hearing some kind of wailing echoing from it at night, and Temba Wide-Arm even said that she saw a ghost hovering around the entrance!"

"A g-g-ghost?" Jaune shivered.

"Aye, it was all a pale blue and glided on a pocket of air wherever it went. Since that spirit has appeared, the town has been in decline, and most townsfolk have left to go anywhere other than here."

"That's saddening," Pyrrha noted. She walked away for a moment, thinking about something. She came back over in less than a minute. "What if Jaune and I go check out the barrow and confirm if the rumors of this ghost are true?"

"Pyrrha, are you nuts?" Jaune questioned.

"Really? If it turns out to a hoax, then that will breath life back into this town! Tell you what, for assigning yourself this task, you two can have a room for free for a few nights, since I imagine you two must also want to trek the 7000 Steps."

Jaune nodded. "Yep, we are our way to High Hrothgar."

"Well, as an added bonus, I will lend you two fur coats for the journey up the mountain later. But for now, rest until nightfall, that's when the ghost comes out," Wilhelm offered.

"Thank you, Wilhelm," Pyrrha said with a bow. "We shall accept your offer."

Jaune and Pyrrha dropped their packs off in their room, then they viewed their map with Wilhelm, who pointed the barrow out to them. After that, the two teens went out to the river where Pyrrha gave Jaune a little sword training until nightfall. Though Jaune has proven himself formidable against bandits, trained soldiers, giant spiders, and even dragons, fighting against a well-trained Huntress who has won the Ms Regional tournaments four years running proved to be too much for him, though he did hold his own against his partner longer than he could back in Vale. "You still need to watch your footing," Pyrrha remarked, helping him up from the ground.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Night fell across the sky, and Jaune and Pyrrha prepared for the barrow by emptying their packs of their gear and filled them with a few torches, potions, arrows, throwing knives, and some fruit and water. Wilhelm promised to keep a close eye on their gear, and a tip of twenty septims made that promise even harder than steel.

Outside of town, near Shroud Hearth Barrow, something stirred inside. From within the entrance, the ghost emerged, patrolling the outskirts of the barrow. The ghost was clad in a blue-white shroud and was transparent. It appeared in the form of a man, however. It specter let out a deathly wail that echoed across town, where Jaune and Pyrrha heard.

"Are you ready for this, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked as she strapped her spearsword to her hip.

Jaune took in a deep breath. "Kinda. I'm not really keen on trying to find a ghost, is all," he answered. He slung his shield onto his back. "But I know I cannot be afraid though, so let us go ghost busting."

**CHAPTER END.**


	5. The Way of the Voice

**Chapter 5: The Way of the Voice**

Noir Arc was currently driving in her car towards Beacon Academy to perform some investigation in Team JNPR's dorm room hoping that she might find some information into their disappearance. She also wanted to deliver something that was meant for Jaune before he vanished too. She parked her car in the lot and made her way to JNPR's room, where she entered thanks to the spare key Ozpin gave her, Jaune's present tucked under her arm.

Inside, she laid the present on Jaune's bed, and set to work. She inspected every dresser, cabinet, closet, night stand, desk, everything, looking for some kind of clue as to where her brother and his team may have gone to, but nothing turned up. She did find something when she went searching under the beds, namely Jaune's diary and a folder of pictures of Jaune under Pyrrha's.

Noir giggled at the pictures, a number of which were of Jaune in the bathroom or during training. "Seems like Ms Nikos has a little crush on my little brother," Noir chuckled with a grin. She switched to the diary and opened it up, flipping through the pages. She came to a dead stop when she found a picture of Weiss Schnee with her trademark grouchy face tucked into one page.

"_Dear diary, why is it Weiss never notices me? I try and I try to get her attention, to woo her, to make her recognize my love for her, but she is stubborn and constantly ignores me, claiming that I am only interested in her because of her heritage…_"

"This might lead to a hint," Noir noted.

"_…and yet that Neptune fellow snagged her like a fish on a line. How does he do it?! I won't give up, and I know my snow angel will see me for who I am and fall into my arms._"

"This seems obvious that Jauney has a crush on Weiss Schnee, but she doesn't care for him, and Pyrrha Nikos seems to have a crush on him, but he must not be reading her cues. I must inquire about this to Ms Schnee. I've seen Jaune get rejected before and he didn't take it well, so I better be wrong about what I'm thinking about."

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

In Team RWBY's dorm, Noir found Weiss. She sat the heiress down at a table and laid Jaune's diary before her. "According to my brother's diary, he seems to be madly in love with you," Noir told her.

Weiss was unfazed by this knowledge. "And what of it?" she said with an icy tone. "That boy has been nothing but trouble for me, always trying to win me over."

"Well, I know my brother, and he isn't the type to love for money or power, instead of love. And you do realize that your constant rejections to him may have factored into his disappearance?"

"What?! How dare you insinuate such a thing!"

Shut it, Schnee," shot Noir, now with a cold tone of her own. "I'm just trying to find out where my brother is, and I swear, if you had anything to do with his disappearance, then I won't hesitate to harm you."

Weiss was unfazed. "I can assure you that Jaune's disappearance had nothing to do with me." Noir snatched up the diary and left for JNPR's room again.

Back in the room, Noir collapsed against the door and broke into tears. "Jaune, where are you?" she weeped. "Where could you have gone to without telling us?"

Noir got up and walked over to Jaune's dresser where a picture frame of the Arc family sat. She picked it up and gazed at the smiling family of two parents, 7 sisters, and a single son, all distinguished as aryans, though Rouge has her hair dyed red, claiming to wanting to try something new. Noir's lips curled into a smile, but soon drooped when something crossed her mind. "What if Jaune found out the family secret?" she wondered. "No, he couldn't have. We all swore to never speak of it until he graduated from the academy, which would be when he would be ready." She quickly set the picture frame down and dashed out the door hoping to find someplace private. She found it in a private restroom and locked the door behind her and dialed up her father.

"Dad, I need to know. Do you think Jaune knows the Arc family secret?" Noir asked.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Elsewhere, Mercury and Cinder sat on their beds, Cinder flipping through her scroll while Mercury twiddled with his fingers. "Do you think Emerald's disappearance may be linked to JNPR's?" Mercury asked his boss.

"I suspect so," Cinder answered without diverting her attention from her scroll. "And while I am a bit worried about her, I must say that with JNPR gone, we have lost a difficult enemy from our plans." She let slip a small grin.

"Pyrrha Nikos, you mean."

"Exactly. It is a shame that Emerald is required for my plans, though, so we must wait for her, wherever she may be."

**—In the Land of Skyrim, in Ivarstead—**

Jaune and Pyrrha were gearing up in their inn room for whatever dangers rested inside Shroud Hearth Barrow, taking their weapons and a few potions for safety. They ate a quick, but hearty meal for energy to keep them going through the barrow, but before they could leave, Wilhelm had something to tell them.

"Look, I really appreciate you two offering to scope out the barrow to confirm the ghost rumors," Wilhelm told the two. "Just be careful in there. About a year ago, a young adventurer named Wyndelius Gatharian went into the barrow and never returned."

"By Oum's Grace," Jaune mumbled.

"Aye, lad," he said, shaking his head. "Just watch your step in there." Wilhelm sent them off as the pair made their way to Shroud Hearth Barrow and entered through the doors.

Inside the ancient tomb, Jaune and Pyrrha felt like counting their blessings that everything was quiet and that the dead was staying dead at the moment. They moved through each chamber and watched themselves for any residents that were not sleeping, but every Draugr was dead for good here. They encountered a number of traps however, ranging from spikes that shot from the walls and floor, dart traps, and tripwires. The two adventurers did however find a some coin purses, a couple gems, and a petty soul gem, even though they had no idea how to work it. Jaune also found a magic spell book, and after a rigorous read, he learned the spell Oakflesh, much like Ren did.

The pair soon came to a fork after much exploration and decided to take the right path. Jauen threw open the doors and Pyrrha heard a low CLICK sound. She grabbed Jaune by the collar and yanked him backwards onto the ground just as several spires of fire shot out from the ceiling where he was standing.

"Akatosh's spirit!" Jaune cried.

"What?" Pyrrha snickered.

"The Dragon God of Time, Akatosh," Jaune explained. "Never mind, it doesn't matter." They got up to their feet and continued down the hall, where they came across a large spiral door with three swivels depicting animal carvings, similar to the door back in Bleak Falls Barrow. "It looks like a dead end, that is unless we can find the dragon claw associated with this door."

"No choice but to turn back and go down that other path then," said Pyrrha. She turned to head back, but Jaune remained still, staring at the dragon claw door. "Jaune?"

"I think there's a word wall behind this door," he said, placing his hand upon the stone. "Magical words written in the Dovah tongue that will grant me the power of the Thu'um."

"We can come back to it another time, I promise. Let's just try to find this supposed ghost and return to town." Jaune let out a sigh and followed after his redheaded teammate. They entered through the other door and came upon a small antechamber. Nearby, they heard a voice.

"I shall not let anyone enter this barrow anymore," said the male voice. Pyrrha held up two fingers to hush Jaune and they crouched down and moved slowly towards a door on the north end. "It is my treasure, and none shall steal it!"

Get ready for anything," Pyrrha whispered, drawing her spearsword. Jaune nodded and drew his blade as Pyrrha pushed the door open, making a long CREAK. Inside, they found a makeshift bed of straw and a blanket, a bookcase will a few books, an alchemy lab with various ingredients strewn about, and the ghost itself standing near the bed. It appeared transparent and was clothed in an otherworldly blue color. The ghost heard the door open and drew a knife.

"I won't let you steal the treasure!" the spirit screamed and rushed at Pyrrha. Pyrrha was caught off guard, as she had no idea how to combat a ghost, but Jaune jumped in front of her. The ghost swung from its left, but Jaune simply kicked the spirit down and ran his blade through its chest, making it go still.

"Wait, how did I even touch it?" Jaune wondered as he realized what he just did. He looked back at Pyrrha, who was just as confused as he was.

"Jaune, look!" Pyrrha exclaimed, pointing at the fallen ghost. They both watched as the blue color drained from the ghost, and he became human in appearance. "What is going on here?" She wondered over to the bookcase and found a leather-bound book, which she took. "Wyndelius' Journal? This is the name of that man Wilhelm mentioned disappearing a year ago."

Jaune found a phial of a smoky-like liquid and, feeling brave (and stupid), he downed the potion. Nearly instantly, Jaune's entire body became transparent and blueish, like the ghost. "That's it," Pyrrha concluded after reading the few pages in the journal. "It turns out Wyndelius came to this barrow for some kind of treasure, and he has been making potions to appear like a spirit to scare away the townsfolk so they wouldn't suspect."

"A clever plan, I must say," Jaune noted as he stared through his arms. The potion's effect soon wore off and Jaune was back to his regular self.

"Look at this passage," Pyrrha told him, hovering the journal before him. "Wyndelius speaks of a sapphire dragon claw that he needs to reach the treasure, and that Wilhelm may have something to do with it."

"It could be paranoia, but then again, this could be the very same claw needed for the door we found." Pyrrha nodded at her leader.

"Yes, but the last two entries kinda confuse me. For one thing, Wyndelius writes about how he feels like it's his duty to guard this tomb, and the next entry is dated back to the first era of Tamriel, whereas we live in the fourth. Look at this:

'_...They shall not take my treasure. They shall all pay dearly for their crimes. Any who set foot within these walls will taste my wrath, my power. I am the guardian of Shroud Hearth Barrow! All who oppose me will fall'..."_

"That is scary," Jaune said.

"I feel like whoever wrote this entry was not Wyndelius, at least not his own self…" Pyrrha glanced over at the dead body of the man. "Let's just get back to the inn and see if Wilhelm has the sapphire dragon claw."

"I feel up for more adventuring," Jaune chuckled. Pyrrha gave him a small smile.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Back up on the surface, team Arkos returned to the inn and handed the journal over to Wilhelm and explained what transpired down in the barrow. "Wow, I cannot believe Wyndelius has been alive all this time," the innkeeper said after they finished their story.

"We believe he is after some ancient Nord treasure, but he required a certain sapphire dragon claw to proceed past a stone door," said Jaune.

"I think I know what you're talking about, lad." Wilhelm left the counter and went into the back room, then back back a minute later with the sapphire dragon claw in his hands. "I've had this thing in my family's possession since my grandfather was young, but I had no idea of it's importance." He handed the claw to Jaune, who placed it in his pack.

"Thank you, Wilhelm," said Pyrrha with a bow. "We promise to return the claw to you when we return."

Wilhelm shook his hand. "Nah, keep it. You two will make better use of it than I ever will anyway. Besides, consider it and the fur coats for the trek up the mountain as payment for dispelling the ghost rumors."

"Thank you, sir," Pyrrha said again, followed by another bow. They ate some food and made their way back to the barrow, hoping to uncover its secrets before dawn.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

At that same time, Ren and Nora were crossing the great bridge connected to the snowy city of Windhelm. They had their hoods up, gloves on, and coats tied tight, but the harsh wind still stabbed at their bodies, shivering them. "Ren, I'm freezing," Nora whined, giving a good sneeze."

"Don't worry, when we get inside the walls, we can stay at the inn for the night, promise," he told her, throwing his arm around her and pulling her close.

When they reached the gates, they were met with a shocking surprise: both Khajiit and Argonians huddled around outside in their tents and traveling caravans. "What aren't you and your people inside where it's warm?" Ren asked.

One Khajiit looked at the young lad from under his fur coat. "Jarl Ulfric does not allow the races of Mer inside his city," he shivered. "The Dunmer live in the Grey Quarter inside, but I heard it is more of a slum district apart from the other areas. We have pleaded Ulfric to allow us in to perform trade, but he refuses, claiming that we cannot go in due to some old law. I believe he cares for no one not of Nord blood, that damn fool!"

"I could go try talking to him," Ren offered.

"Don't even bother. He is deaf to all ears not pertaining to the civil war. Just be happy you can enter the city, Bretons."

"We are not Bretons, we are from Mistral," Nora corrected.

"Well then, Mistralians, I suggest you not anger the Jarl, and do not discuss anything related to the Empire." Ren and Nora said their thanks and headed for the great doors.

Inside, they made their way to the Candlehearth Hall inn straight ahead. Inside, they were welcomed by Elda Early-Dawn, the proprietor. "Welcome to Windhelm, young weary travelers," she said behind the counter. "Need a room and some food to replenish your appetites?"

"We could use some food and drink, yes," Ren kindly answered. "We also need a room for a night as well."

"Well, that'll run you about forty septims altogether." Ren paid the amount, leaving only about sixty pieces left in his purse. They were escorted up to their room where they laid their gear and coats down and headed downstairs to mingle with the townsfolk. Nora soon found herself befriending a couple drunks and playing a dice game. She came out winning twenty septims, that is, after she lost about forty herself.

Ren sat at the counter eating some soup and a little Nord mead, which he barely drank as he wanted to stay sober. Nora indulged in the mead instead. "Any rumors floating around?" Ren asked Elda.

"Well, there's Aventus Aretino, a young boy who lives in this city. I heard he's trying to summon the Dark Brotherhood lately after he ran away from the orphanage in Riften to the south."

"The Dark Brotherhood? Who are they?"

"No one quite knows for sure, but what everyone does know is that they are a secret organization of assassins that takes on assassination contracts from anyone, no matter who."

Ren shivered a little at the thought of a Dark Brotherhood member hovering over his bed with a knife to his throat. "So, this boy is performing some kind of ritual to summon the Brotherhood?" he inquired.

"Aye, apparently the poor boy is sitting in his house hoping for a member of the Brotherhood to appear at his door and rescue him from being sent back to the orphanage."

Ren nodded and went back to his food. When he finished, he carried Nora's near unconscious body up to their room and laid her to rest. "Nora, I'm going out for a bit, but I'll be back soon," he told her despite that she may not have heard him. Nora sprawled her body about and she was soon snoring with a stream of saliva down her cheek. Ren simply smiled and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. Heading back downstairs with his coat on and his daggers on his belt, Ren told Elda that he was going out and that Nora was locked in their room.

Ren went out into the harsh cold, where the storm stung at his skin. He made his way east towards Aventus' house, but he found the door locked. Cursing under his breath, Ren first checked the coast was clear and set a lockpick into the door lock. After a couple minutes of struggling, Ren heard a faint CLICK and the door slid open.

Inside, he found the house to be a complete mess and dimly lit with candles. Upstairs, he could hear a young boy's voice. "Sweet mother, sweet mother, send your child unto me for the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in blood and fear."

Ren swallowed and slowly and carefully crept up the stairway. He drew his mage hood up and covered his lower face with his face guard. When he rose to the second floor, he found the boy Aventus Aretino on the floor near an effigy composed of bones, flesh, a heart, and a skull. Ren watched as the young boy repeatedly plunged a dagger into the effigy corpse as he continued the chant. Ren felt his heart race as he watched a child, a child of all things, commit such an act. The Mistral teen shuddered at the thought of how Aventus came about the materials he needed for such a ritual.

Ren approached the boy slowly, and he stopped, for Aventus ceased his ritual and turned towards his new visitor. "It worked!" the lad cheered. "I knew that if I kept at it, you would come!" Ren realized that Aventus has mistaken him for the Dark Brotherhood. "You don't need to say anything, I know what you're going to say. All I ask is that you head to orphanage in Riften to the south and murder Grelod the Kind."

"Why do you want this Grelod woman dead?" Ren asked in a hushed whisper.

"Despite her name, she is nothing but a cold-hearted and evil woman who has treated both the orphans and I terribly, never caring for us." Ren clenched his hand into a tight fist and grit his teeth. "Please, if she finds out that I am here, I will be sent back to the orphanage and she will most likely beat me many times for days."

Ren felt his anger boiling up the more he about this devilish Grelod. The way Aventus talks about her reminded him of home. "I shall accept your contract, Aventus Arentino," Ren whispered with calm in his voice now. "Grelod the Kind shall be dead in a few days from now."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Aventus said, jumping for joy. "I'll pay whatever price you desire."

"No payment is required." Ren gave the boy a short bow and exited the derelict house and headed back to the inn, now with his face shown for all. Inside, he found Elda tending the hearth.

"Miss Elda, I need to speak with you privately," Ren said. She gave him a nod and stabbed one wooden block with the poker before leading him to a private room behind the bar counter. There, Ren handed Elda his coin pouch which had only forty septims left after Nora's gambling earlier. "I will need our room a little longer than originally planned."

"That will run you about twenty septims a night, and you only have enough for two, plus I am sure you and your companion will need food as well," warned Elda, counting the septims.

"I know, and I will be gone longer than two days, unfortunately. I do promise to pay my debt when I return, however."

Elda narrowed her eyes at the raven-haired mage. "You're lucky I'm having a good day. I'll take this and watch over your friend, but you best bring a good amount of money back and you and your friend will be before the Jarl, and I'm sure you wouldn't like that, would you?"

Ren nodded. "I understand, and thank you, Miss Elda." Ren left while Elda stayed behind to count up the remaining coins. The teen closed the door behind him and as he passed the counter, his hands moved swiftly and a nice coin pouch appeared in his pocket without an eye seeing the act.

Ren left the city for the stables, and he hired a carriage south to Riften. Ren knew he would have to walk back to Windhelm on the return trip, so he will have to find a hefty sum of coin to pay back Elda when he returned.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

For Jaune and Pyrrha, they were in the belly of the tomb where a word wall depicting the Dovah language was guarded by several Draugr that they have awoken. Two of the Draugr were deathlords who wielded the Voice, the rest regular foot soldiers. Jaune and Pyrrha pressed their backs to each other and cut down the soldiers easily, leaving only the deathlords left. They both broke apart and lured the deathlords away to even the fight more so.

Jaune blocked a strike from the Draugr, then the undead slammed the boy with his shield, knocking him back and opening his guard. The Draugr swung underside and cut Jaune's stomach, making him scream in agony.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha cried as she blocked a strike from her Draugr's battleaxe.

Jaune jumped back and downed a healing potion, which set to work mending his stomach cut. "Don't mind me!" he ordered. Pyrrha turned back to her foe and attacked. She swung her spearsword with speed and accuracy, cutting her enemy down little by little. The Draugr was powerful, however, and it constantly pushed her back with strong swings, even slicing the so-called Invincible Woman on her body.

Pyrrha lowered her shield as she caught her breath, dropping her guard. The Draugr raised its axe and brought it down. Pyrrha activated her polarity Semblance and the axe missed her by a mere inch, plunging directly into the stone floor. With the Draugr's guard now open, Pyrrha leapt high and drove her blade into the Draugr's neck, putting it down for good.

Pyrrha raced to Jaune's side, helping him up from another knock down. Together, they charged at the remaining Draugr deathlord. The Draugr kept the pair at bay with its sword and shield. Pyrrha lunged forward to strike, but the Draugr bashed her with its shield, knocking her asunder. "RO DAH!" the creature yelled, throwing Pyrrha backwards and skidding across the ground.

Jaune grew furious and brought his sword down onto his foe's shield. The Draugr held its own against the blond warrior, but while Jaune may not be as strong as the Draugr, he was much wiser. He brought down his sword twice more, and upon the second strike, he hunched down and sweep kicked his enemy, sending it down onto its back. He readied his sword to pierce the undead's heart. "RO DAH!" shouted the Draugr, sending Jaune falling onto his back, his sword and shield skidding across the floor. The Draugr rose to stab Jaune this time, but the boy unleashed a storm of lightning from his fingertips, sending the Draugr reeling backwards.

Jaune used this chance to dash for his sword, scooping it up as the Draugr neared him. "FUS!" Jaune shouted, sending the Draugr stumbling. He dashed forward and plunged his blade into the creature's chest, spilling black blood onto his hands and blade. The Draugr growled at Jaune, staring him down with its glowing red eyes. Jaune let out a mighty roar, almost Dovah-like, pulled his blade out, and cleaved the undead's head clean off as the body crumbled to the floor.

Pyrrha wandered over his side, her left side, knees, and arms covered in cuts. "Nice job, Jaune," she wheezed as she applied a healing spell to her wounds. "You seem to be getting stronger each day now." When she finished, she noticed large bruises on his arms, along with several cuts. She readied her healing spell again, but Jaune held up his hand.

"I'm fine," he said. "It's just a scratch."

Pyrrha glared at him. "No, they're not. You're hurt."

"I'm. Fine." Pyrrha sighed and deactivated her spell.

"Fine, but if you do start hurting, let me know." They both sheathed their weapons and Jaune approached the word wall. He drew close to the glowing words and a wisps of air flooded his head and mind and he learned the first word to the shout, Disarm: "_Zun_."

"What sort of new shout have you learned?" Pyrrha asked.

Jaune took in a deep breath as he saw the word in its Dovah form. "Disarm, which will allow me to rip a weapon from someone's grasp," he answered.

"That should prove to become useful then," Pyrrha said with a grin. "C'mon, let's head back to town and rest for tomorrow's hike up the mountain." She slapped his shoulder, making him wince in pain. "Okay, you are getting fixed up as soon as we get back, no ifs, ands, or buts." Jaune let out a sigh and followed his redheaded companion back to the surface.

Back up where the starry sky shone above them, they returned to the inn, where a number of people were to congratulate them on their journey inside the barrow. The two enjoyed a small meal and returned the sapphire dragon claw to Wilhelm, despite his wishes that they keep it. Like he promised, Wilhelm lent them fur coats for the journey up the mountain, though he wanted them back as they came down, of course.

After the celebration, Jaune and Pyrrha vacated back to their room, where Jaune stripped down to the waist and Pyrrha worked her magic, literally, on his wounds, healing him up good as new. Afterwards, they changed and went to bed.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ren sat in the back of the carriage that trotted south along the path towards Riften. With his robes' hood over his head, he gazed at the wilderness, taking in its beauty. In his mind, he kept picturing what Grelod the Kind looked like, often times imagining her as some kind of evil witch or monster that tortured the children. Every time he thought of her, he felt his blood boiling and took delight in envisioning himself sticking one of his daggers in her heart, spilling red blood onto the floor and her clothes. His lips curled into a devilish smile as he soon nodded off, dreaming of him and Nora back in Vale, safe and happy.

**—The Next Morning—**

Jaune and Pyrrha woke up and packed their gear. They cooked some soup from their packs over the inn's hearth for breakfast and headed out and across the bridge towards the Throat of the World, the tallest mountain in Skyrim. "Ready, Pyrrha?" Jaune asked.

"You know that I am so long as you are," she replied. Taking in a good deep breath, Jaune lead ahead as they began the climb of the Seven Thousand Steps to High Hrothgar. Along the way, they met a couple travelers who were making the trek as well. They also found several stone tablets foretelling the supposed origins of Men, who may have been created by Kyne on the very same mountain long ago.

Along the way, the pair encountered several wolves, but these creatures did not attack, instead letting them pass, for some odd reason. They did encounter a Frost Troll, which they avoided by staying out of sight behind the boulders before slipping past and onwards. They had to stop to catch their breath a few times, but they tried avoiding this problem with stamina potions, which Jaune remarked tasted quite good despite what could be in the mix.

It was early afternoon when the monastery finally entered their vision, and a snowstorm was picking up as well. Jaune and Pyrrha rushed towards the building and through the front doors, eager to get warm inside.

Inside, they found a crowd of hooded men arranged in a circle in the middle of the foyer. One of them stepped forward. "Welcome to High Hrothgar. I am Master Arngeir," he introduced. Jaune was unsure of what to do, so he chose to politely bow to the Greybeard. Master Arngeir gave the boy a light chuckle. "Well, it seems how our guest has some manners. You are the Dragonborn, are you not?"

"Yes, yes I am," Jaune said proudly.

"If you are, prove it by shouting at me." Arngeir could see the nervous look in Jaune's eyes. "Do not worry for your shout will not hurt me."

Jaune fidgeted with his posture a little, adjusting his footing, and inhaled deeply. "FUS!" he shouted, sending Arngeir stumbling with a wave of energy.

"Impressive!" the Greybeard complimented. "You are indeed Dragonborn."

"So, does that mean you will teach Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, stepping forward.

"Forgive me, young lady, but may I have your name?"

"Pyrrha Nikos, sir," Pyrrha answered, extending her hand. Arngeir did not take her hand, instead giving her a low bow.

"As for the answer to your question, yes, we will train Mr Jaune Arc to become stronger as Dragonborn."

"So, what sort of things will I have to do?" Jaune inquired. "Some squats? Chin-ups? Dragon meditation? That sort of thing?"

"No, you must simply learn the shouts in the Dovah language," Arngeir answered. "So, are you ready to learn the Way of the Voice, Dovahkiin?"

Jaune clenched his hands up. "I am ready," he said with a grin. "I am ready to become a true Dragonborn."

**CHAPTER END.**


	6. The Night Huntsman

**Chapter 6: The Night Huntsman**

—**At the Gates of Riften—**

Ren's carriage arrived at the west gates of Riften in the late afternoon. He raised his hood over his head as he approached the twin guards at the wooden double doors. "I wish to partake in the marketplace of Riften," Ren coolly told the left guard.

Lefty tilted his head at Ren for a moment. "That alone sounds suspicious, traveler," Lefty told him.

Ren raised an eyebrow. "And why is that? Is it suddenly illegal for a man to make a little profit?"

"It isn't," Lefty shot back. "We are also looking for profit too, if you understand us." Lefty extended his cupped hand out.

"You want me to bribe you?" Ren asked. Lefty nodded. "You have got to be joking; since when does one have to pay for permission to enter a city?"

Lefty quickly let out a hushing whisper. "Alright, you can enter, but never speak a word of this, understand?" Ren gave a slight nod and entered the city.

Inside, Ren took note of the overcast weather that blanketed the city. He quickly noticed that many, if not all the structures of the city were wooden. _This city is old, very old, _Ren thought. He concentrated his Aura into his eyes and he peered far into the marketplace, which was bustling with traders and customers. _And yet the city must have a strong economy. _Ren's ears perked up for any strange sounds as he passed the narrow and dark alleys. _Judging by how the gate guards tried robbing me, I wouldn't expect some residents trying the same thing. _

"Hey you, over here," called a gruff voice. Ren's Aura ears picked up the voice before the first word even finished. He turned to see a dark-haired Nord in steel armor leaning against a wooden post. "You're not here to cause any trouble, are you?" Ren was unsure if this man was trying to threaten him or warn him.

Ren gave him a sharp glare under his hood. "I may be looking for trouble, but that's none of your concern," Ren said with an icy flare.

"Wrong, it is my concern if it your trouble involves the Black-Briars, so watch yourself." The Nord regained his posture and walked off. Ren watched him go.

"I hope Oum damns you," Ren cursed under his breath. Ren let out a sigh and walked to the marketplace to get a better view of the city for the orphanage. After taking in the salty air from the lake and surveying the area, Ren noticed the Honorhall Orphanage located at the south side of the city. Taking in a deep breath, he pulled his hood over his face a little and raised a black face guard cloth to hide his face. At the doors, he checked that no one was looking in his direction and entered, taking care not to make a sound with the doors.

Inside, Ren silently closed the doors. Around the corner, he could hear the shrill voice of Grelod the Kind. Ren felt his anger boil as he crept against the wall and froze at the corner.

"Listen here, you brats," Grelod barked. "No one is ever going to adopt you, nor do they ever want you, so get that into your thick skulls!"

"Yes, Grelod," said the children.

"Good, now go to your beds!" Footsteps could be heard going in different places. Ren expanded his Aura outward and his hearing improved; he then heard a pair of footsteps coming towards him. Ren quickly straightened up and lowered his hood and face guard. A brunette Imperial came around the corner and made a little "eek" upon seeing him.

"Forgive me if I surprised you," Ren apologized. "I came here to see the children."

"Well, I'm sorry, but we are currently not allowing adoptions at the moment," said the woman, Constance Michel. "I doubt Grelod will allow any of the children to leave, to be honest."

"Really? Well, if you don't mind, may I perhaps speak to her?"

"I suppose it will be alright, but I doubt you will be able to sway her. Her room is right across the central room where the children stay." Michel went into the nearby kitchen to prepare some food.

Ren raised his hood again and slid one of his daggers an inch from the scabbard to be ready. If he was to kill Grelod, he will have to do it quickly and ensure she doesn't let out any noise. The children will not care, judging from how cruel she treats them.

As Ren stepped out into the central room, he observed all the children, who were either whispering among themselves or lying in bed. Ren suddenly slapped a hand to his forehead and let out a groan, stumbling on his feet. He blinked a few times and saw the orphanage change a little; the room twisted and warped in its architect and the children changed shape into Humans and Faunus. Two children morphed into a small Mistral boy with raven hair and magenta eyes, and a girl the same, but with orange hair and turquoise eyes.

_No, not again. This isn't like then. _One boy tugged on Ren's grey pant leg and the vision faded.

"Mister, are you alright?" the young lad asked.

Ren got down and patted his head. "I am fine, now go to bed, little one. I must speak to Grelod the Kind now."

"She is not kind at all!" the boy suddenly snapped. Grelod suddenly burst from her room in a storm.

"Samuel, stop yelling and go to your bed!" Grelod roared before slamming the door shut, completely ignoring Ren.

Ren let out a sigh. "Tell me a little about Grelod, Samuel. What does she do to you children?"

"She often yells at us, beats us, and breaks our spirits by telling us we will never be adopted, and she makes it her goal that we are not," Samuel quietly answered.

"She even puts us in the…room," said Runa Fair-Shield, her voice dropping to a hush at the last word.

Samuel nodded. "Yeah, if we misbehave, she would drag us to that room and chain us to the wall until we learn our lesson."

Ren gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, popping the bones under his skin. _This witch is even viler than Derek Harsen ever was,_ Ren thought. "You kids best go to bed right now. And whatever you will soon hear, do not worry."

"How come?" asked Francois.

Ren raised his face guard. "Because the Dark Brotherhood has answered your cries." Without a further word, Ren stormed to Grelod's room and entered, closing the door behind her.

"What do you want?" she demanded. "If you're here for the children, you can forget it! They're not up for adoption!" Ren was silent, then he took a step towards her, his black boots thumping on the wooden floor. "What is it you want?!" Grelod said again. Ren's Aura went rampant; his dagger was suddenly in his hand and Grelod had only let out a shriek before the steel went straight into her heart. Even after she fell to the floor with a loud thump, Ren kneeled down and repeatedly plunged the dagger into the dead women several times more. Ren's vision blurred, and instead of Grelod, he found himself staring at a dead middle-aged man. The floor shifted to a finer wood. Ren's own hands became small, but still bathed in blood.

Ren began convulsing as he stared at his now-shivering bloodstained hands. He then heard a door open and turned to see a scared Constance Michel with the children behind her, who was smiling from ear to ear, happy at the prospect that the witch Grelod is dead. But to Ren, he saw Michel and a number of young Humans and Faunus, including the orange-haired girl who did not show any resentment towards Ren.

In a flash, Ren was at Michel with his bloody dagger at her throat. She winced at the steel's touch. "You never saw me here," Ren warned. "Grelod's death happened in the middle of the night while all of you were asleep. And if I hear word that you mistreat these children like Grelod, then you will wake up into the next life." There was no option; there was only obedience in Ren's voice. Michel slowly nodded and Ren drew away.

"Thank you, sir," said Runa. "Thank you so much for killing that witch. Ren only glanced at her direction as he went in and wiped his dagger clean on Grelod's bed sheet before heading for the entrance doors.

"What do we call you?" asked Samuel, making Ren freeze for a moment.

"I am…The Night Huntsman," Ren answered before exiting the doors into the night.

Outside, Ren quickly moved for the west entrance to leave, but he noticed that there were a few guards standing guard there, so that option was lost. _There must be some kind of curfew in effect._ He crouched down and sneaked towards the south docks, but he soon found guards standing at each small port, meaning now Ren cannot simply just swim out across the lake.

"Damn," he cursed under his breath. Ren sneaked towards a weakly wooden stairway and headed down below the city level. From there, he followed the path with tied boats until he found an alcove with a metal bar door. Without much choice, Ren opened the door and slipped inside the Ratway.

Inside the dim halls, Ren slowly made his way through. He found a few random people, who drew weapons upon seeing him, but with his Aura and magic spells combined, they were mere fodder. "This must be some kind of hideaway for the thieves, cutpurses, and criminals in this city," Ren commented to himself. Ren soon came to an open room with a couple tables, chairs, and food, but also a few criminals not too happy to see him. Another wearing iron armor drew a heavy battleaxe; another in leather drew an iron sword, and the last wearing a tunic came at him with his fists. Ren drew one of his daggers as Fists came at him.

With a simple duck, Ren avoided his fist and dug his dagger into his heart. The one with the iron sword was not as quick, so Ren clenched his fist, which shivered as an ice spike formed within and he shot it into the man, sending him to the floor dead. Battleaxe was already on Ren with his axe raised, but when he brought it down, Ren stopped it with his bare hands, thanks to his Semblance, Force Back.

"What the hell?!" said a confused Battleaxe. Ren smirked and he stole the axe, then he swung it into his foe's neck, sending him to the floor gagging on his blood as Ren retrieved his dagger, cleaning it off the big man's shirt. The young lad went over to a table and snagged himself some apples and potatoes for his pack, and he also strapped the iron sword from his defeated enemy to his hip, and then began pacing around the room.

"There must be some way to earn a little extra money around here," Ren wondered. "but even with this little underground city, there must be something besides thieving and whoring." Ren's question was soon answered when his ears picked up the sound of cheering off into the distance. Keeping a dagger ready, Ren made his way towards the source and he soon comes across a large room with a circular arena in the center. Crowds of people booing, jeering, and cheering lined the stone-carved seats as two people wearing armor and wielding weapons hacked at each other. Ren noticed that the ground of the arena seemed to be stained with blood. He made his way to an empty seat next to an Imperial man and sat down.

Ren watched as a Redguard man in iron armor charged at his opponent, an Argonian in leather armor, with a steel broadsword. The Argonian blocked the sword with his steel sword and kicked his foe backwards, making him skid to a halt. Grinning, the Redguard put the pressure on his foe, striking wildly with his sword. The Argonian desperately tried to either dodge or block the strikes, but it was too much, and he found his sword torn from his grasp and clanging across the ground. The Redguard jumped onto the lizard man and pinned him to the ground. "You're finished," cried the Redguard as he raised his broadsword for the final blow.

Suddenly, the Argonian bore his fangs and dug them into his foe's leg, drawing blood as the broadsword fell harmlessly to the ground, the Redguard screaming in agony. The Argonian switched places with his enemy and sank his teeth into his neck, shredding his flesh and tearing out his neck, spitting his remains to the side as the Redguard choked to death on his own blood.

"Barbaric," Ren commented.

"Hey, it's entertaining though," said the Imperial next to him. "And best part is, the bets were 34-66 that the Argonian would win, so I just earned some pretty coin. I best go collect my winnings and head home now." The Imperial got up and left, heading for a makeshift booth where a middle-aged Breton was.

"Maybe if I make some bets, I can collect enough money," Ren muttered. Letting out a sigh, Ren got up and walked over to the aforementioned booth. "Sir, is there where I can make bets on the fighters?" Ren asked the Breton.

"Yep. Here, have a look at the list of matches for tonight and tell me who you'll be betting on," the Breton answered. Ren was handed a sheet of parchment that listed the fights; he took note that the previous fights had lines crossing out of the fighters. Ren looked at the list for a moment, then froze when he saw a familiar name.

"Yang Xiao Long versus Jargo Vicus," Ren mumbled.

"Aye, that fight will be happening a bit later," the Breton told him. "That Jargo guy is apparently some swordsman from Markarth, and that Yang woman is some buxom young blonde from the Imperial City and a really good fighter with her fists, though I wouldn't mind getting beaten by something else of hers, ya know what I mean?"

Ren forced a chuckle. "She must be something then." Ren fished out his pouch of coins, totaling at least seventy Septims. "I'll put all this on Yang Xiao Long to win."

"You seem to have a lot of faith in this new fighter, lad," the Breton said as he took Ren's money and handed him a ticket. Ren went back to his seat and bid his time until Yang's fight started.

_Perhaps Pyrrha was right about the Blake of Whiterun being this world's Blake, as if each world have their own person, _Ren thought. _But then, I wonder if there is a Lie Ren of Skyrim…_

Ren wondered of this strange yet intriguing occurrence for a while, but quickly snapped awake when the fight between Yang and her challenger, a Nord named Jargo. When Yang stepped into the arena, the audience let out a thunderous applause. Yang, with her lilac eyes and long golden hair, stepped out wearing light steel armor, but no weapon. Jargo stepped out wearing heavy steel armor and carried a large battleaxe.

"Tell you what, just give up now and I can spare you a good beating." Yang told Jargo wit a grin and a wink.

"Ha! Like hell I will forfeit to a little girl like you!" Jargo spat. He raised his battleaxe and charged at Yang. Yang stood her ground and raised her fists. As soon as Jargo came near, Yang drove her right gauntlet into his chest, forcing him back a step as his axe faltered in his hands. Not wanting to give him another chance, Yang piled on the punches; jabs, sideswipes, uppercuts, and bashes. The sound of clanging steel rang out as Yang put the pressure on further as she slammed her left fist into Jargo's chest, sending him down onto his back. Yang reeled her leg back and drove her foot into his face, silencing him forever.

"You should've listened to me," Yang said as she turned her back on the dead man. Everyone broke into applause. Yang's following fights were similar with her as the victor each time. Ren soon found himself with winnings totaling six hundred Septims total, which he will have to divide into coins and jewels later.

Dawn soon reached the surface, and the arena had to come to an end. Ren collected his winnings and was about to leave the Ratway when he spotted Yang, now dressed in a tunic, pants, and boots, sitting at a table with a book all alone. He chose to go to her. "Hello, Yang," Ren said to her.

Yang looked at the raven-haired mage before and slipped him a grin. "Whoa, looks like I'm having a good day," she purred. "Tell you what, hon, meet me in the inn in a bit and I'll give you a night to remember." She gave him a sly wink, making Ren blush.

"Um, no, I was just wondering if you would be willing to take up a far different offer, Yang Xiao Long," Ren told her.

"Hmm, what kind of offer are you speaking of?"

"Well, I have tidings with the Companions, and they recently informed me that they are looking for new recruits, and after seeing you fight in the arena, I think you would be perfect to join their ranks."

"Sounds interesting, but I'm fighting in the arena for the coin and excitement."

"You can find both of those and more with the Companions though."

"Sounds promising, but will I find adventure with them?"

"I can assure you will find plenty of adventures within their ranks. Plus, think of your reputation with them; people will speak of the golden-haired warrior with the steel fists."

Yang's grin grew wider. "I like that name. Maybe I should go by 'The Girl with the Steel Fists,' or something like that. I guess you got me sold, kid, so let's head over to Whiterun." Yang pocketed her book in her pack and slung that on, then the sack which contained her armor and she followed Ren out of the Ratway and outside the west gates. However, instead of heading west, Ren started going north.

"Aren't you coming with me?" Yang called to him. Ren looked back to her.

"I'm sorry, but I am not. I came here for a simple task, and I must return to my friend in Windhelm," he told her. Ren's hand felt the sword at his hip; he ran back to Yang and handed her the blade in its scabbard. "Here, I know you prefer using her fists in combat, but take it just in case you run into trouble. Yang took the blade and added it to her hip.

"Thanks. By the way, what is your name, and who is this friend of yours?"

"My name is Lie Ren, and as for my friend, she is Nora Valkyrie."

"Well, Ren, make sure you treat your friend well, alright?" And thank you for telling me about the Companions; hopefully you will hear about my grand exploits one day." She gave him a wink and headed down the west path. Ren watched her disappear into the distance with a small smile across his face, then he turned and made his way north to Windhelm, unaware that a shadowy figure in black was following him, watching his every move with fiery-orange eyes.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ren reached the gates of Windhelm before night fell across the land, and just in time, for as soon as he entered the inn, a snowstorm soon rolled around. He found Elda at the counter, and she appeared glad to see his return.

"Finally, I thought you would never return," she told him. Ren dropped a pouch of Septims on the counter.

"Sorry, I got a little caught up," Ren apologized. "I hope this will be enough to cover expenses and I also hope Nora wasn't too much trouble to you."

"Not too much, she's actually been entertaining a number of the customers with her crazy stories, but the patrons like them," Elda answered, pointing towards the fireplace where Nora was speaking to a group of customers. Ren smiled and went over to her, where she spotted him right away.

"Ren, you're finally back!" she cried, leaping into his arms, where he hugged her.

"Hey, Nora, sorry I kept you waiting." Ren brushed her hair back as she grinned at him. "How about we have some dinner and go to bed, okay?" Nora answered with a giggling nod.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Later that night, in their room, Nora was fast asleep, but Ren was wide awake, sitting on the edge of the double bed. He was mulling over the consequences of murdering Grelod back in Riften. _I did it for the children, _he told himself. _She was physically and mentally abusing them, and I rescued them from their horrible lives. I did the right thing, despite what I did._ Ren let out a long sigh and stared at his hands; the very hands that committed the murder. It was right there that Ren realized how vastly different killing enemy soldiers versus ordinary people was, and he knew he may never be able to wash the crime off his hands. Not anymore, not again like so long ago. _I did the right thing long ago, didn't I? I saved all of us from Derek's abuse then, and yet why does it still haunt me?"_

Ren looked at the sleeping Nora, a weak smile spreading across his lips. _No, I committed the murder then for Nora, most of all._ Ren got back into bed and scooted up to Nora, staring at her face in the dark. He slowly and carefully wrapped an arm around her back and drew close, resting his forehead against hers.

A short time later, before Ren could fall into a deep sleep, his Aura picked up the sound of their door opening, forcing him to spring out of bed. "Nora, there's som—!" Ren shot out before a dark shadow flung itself onto him, silencing him. The shadow held Ren down as it slid a dagger across his arm, making a cut. Ren soon felt himself grow woozy. He fell to the floor and slip into a deep sleep, watching as the shadow slid the knife across Nora's arm and picking her up, then he faded away.

**—Some Hours Later—**

Ren stirred in his sleep. He realized what happened and sprang up, noticing that his environment has changed; what was once the inn's room was now a worn-down wooden shack illuminated by a dim torch. Ren noticed Nora lying still against a wall near a bookshelf. "Nora!" Ren called, rushing to her side. He checked her pulse and breathed easy; she was only unconscious.

"I am glad to see you are awake," said a voice above him. Ren looked up to see a young woman clothed entirely in black. Her clothes consisted of black light leather armor, black cloth, and black belts adorned with daggers, pouches, and needles (Similar to the Thieves Guild's armor). A blood red handprint was stamped on her shoulder belt. Her face was obscured by a black hood and face guard, but he could see peach-colored skin, black bangs, and eyes the color of embers glaring at him. The mysterious woman twirled a knife in between her gloved fingers. "You must be wondering where you are, but that is none of your concern."

"What have you done to Nora and I?" Ren growled.

"Relax, boy, it was merely a little poison to knock you both unconscious, that is all." Ren checked his arm and saw a small cut. "Do not think you are safe, however. You yourself have stolen a contract from the Dark Brotherhood, and now you must pay."

"Pay? How so?" Ren asked.

"Look behind you." Ren did and found three people: a male Nord, a female Nord, and a male Khajiit. Ren heard a clang and found a dagger lying at his feet, the same one the woman was playing with. "While you did complete the contract given by Aventus Aretino and you did impress the Dark Brotherhood, it was not yours to take, so you must kill to earn your freedom. A life for a life."

"I refuse," Ren said. The woman tilted her head and jumped down from the shelf, then she drew a new dagger and placed it at Nora's neckline. Ren was afraid to move.

"If you do not kill, then I shall kill this girl to compensate," the woman hissed. She held Nora up by her hair. "This dagger has the poison of the White Asp Snake on its steel; a single prick will make this girl convulse and suffer an excruciating death. Do you want that on your already bloody hands, boy?"

Ren gulped and scooped up the dagger, heading for the three prisoners. "Why do you want one of these people dead?" he asked the woman.

"I did not say I wanted just one of them dead," she teased. "but one of them committed a crime, and someone wants their head. Make your choice."

Ren bit his lip as he paced between the three people, all of whom were terrified from his footsteps and the conversation. He stopped at the male Nord, lifted his neck up, and slit his throat. When his body thumped against the wooden floor, the Khajiit was the only one who did not weep. Ren was not finished, however; he moved to the Khajiit and slit his throat as well, but he let the woman live.

"Ah, so it was the Nord and the Khajiit then, huh?" whispered the woman with delight. "I had hoped you would kill the woman as well, but I suppose you're not completely devoid of remorse. Of course, the Nord is–was a mercenary, so I am sure he made some enemies here and there.

"Was I correct? Were they the ones who committed the crime?" Ren questioned. The woman rose and walked up to him.

"Actually, neither of them committed any crimes," she whispered to him, a smile shining through her mask. Her hand caressed his, taking the dagger back. "What matters is that I gave you an order to kill and you obeyed."

"What? They were innocent—?" Ren was hushed as her fingers went to his mouth. Her fingers were warm, practically hot as fire. Her hand moved to his cheek, rubbing him gently.

"Don't think. Obey," she whispered to him. Her hand moved down Ren's chest. "You have the potential to become a great assassin, but I will have to test you. If you wish to erase the evil committed by others by doing evil yourself, much like what you did with that Grelod woman, come to the Falkreath region, where the sanctuary of the Dark Brotherhood hides. When you find the door and are asked 'What is the music of life?' answer with 'Silence, my brother,' and you shall be welcomed to your new home and new life."

"What if I refuse?" Ren was afraid to know what answer he will receive.

The woman chuckled. "Then I guess we will lose someone who could have been very valuable to us. I know you aspire to greatness, Mr. Lie Ren, but think of what you can do within our family. Hopefully you will make the right choice. My name is Cinder, by the way. Cinder Fall." Before he could even react, Cinder cut his arm with another dagger and Ren fell unconscious once more; the last thing he saw was Cinder showing her face and giving him a tender kiss on the cheek before he faded into darkness.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Both Ren and Nora awoke in a small cave outside of Winterhold, all their gear was intact and nothing was missing. "Ren, what happened to us?" Nora inquired, feeling dizzy.

"I don't know," he lied. "but it seems as though someone helped us get to Winterhold quicker than we originally planned." Ren helped Nora to her feet and buttoned her coat up for her while she balanced on her toes.

"Whoever they were, they must've been nice people," she chirped before skipping towards the snowy city.

"Yeah, I guess they were," Ren muttered to himself. He followed after her, but he felt something in his pocket, a note bearing the same handprint he saw on Cinder's shoulder belt. He gulped and quickly pocketed it.

When they reached the College of Winterhold, they spoke with the Archmage there, who told them that there is no such magic as teleportation, which send all of team JNPR back to where they started. Feeling disappointed, Ren and Nora went to the local inn for some hot food and drink, then they got onto a carriage for Whiterun, hoping that at the very least Jaune has improved in his newfound powers.

"Ren, do you think we will ever find a way back home?" Nora asked, huddled against him in the cold seat.

"…I don't know, Nora. I don't know," he answered with uncertainty.

"Well, at least if we will have to live here, I still have you, Jaune, and Pyrrha to keep me company." She slipped her friend a wide grin and tapped his nose. "Boop," she giggled. Ren smiled and booped her back, prompting another boop from her and then they hugged each other close.

While Ren and Nora's journey to Winterhold has come to a disappointing end, the adventure is not over yet, for Ren is still mulling over Cinder Fall's proposal. And Jaune still has a long way to go if he is master the power of the Thu'um.


	7. The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller

A/N: So sorry for the long wait, everyone. A lot of stuff went on, mainly work, laziness, and a ton of things, but now the adventures of Jaune Arc, Dragonborn, continue!

**Chapter 7: The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller**

**—In Skyrim, on High Hrothgar—**

Three days have passed since Jaune and Pyrrha arrived at the great doors of High Hrothgar, and Jaune had recently finished training with the Greybeards, having learned the full dragon shout of Unrelenting Force as well as a word of the shout, Whirlwind Sprint. Learning the shouts was the simple part–taking only mere minutes to learn–it was learning to utilize them correctly in combat and passive environments that was difficult. At the moment, Jaune was being instructed in swordplay by Pyrrha.

"Come on, Jaune," Pyrrha proclaimed, egging him on. "Come at me like you're trying to kill me." Pyrrha raised her shield as Jaune charged at her for an overhead strike. His sword came down upon her shield, then he made quick slashes and jabs at the shield, all of them safe from Pyrrha. "Good, you're getting faster with your strikes, but you still telegraph them too much."

"I have been doing well so far," Jaune noted.

"True, but you need to be ready for more than just bandits. Most bandits tend to be self-taught, and they do not need to worry about training so long as they can attack people who won't serve as a threat to them. You need to become a threat; you need to make them feel afraid. You will know that you are a true threat to your enemies when you can defeat me in battle." Pyrrha let slip a grin as she took a defensive pose.

_Defeat Pyrrha in battle? Sounds like an impossible dream_, Jaune wondered. Taking in a few deep breaths, Jaune swung his arms to loosen his muscles, then he charged at Pyrrha again. He struck her shield with an overhead strike again, and, in a surprise attack, he smashed his shield forward, sending Pyrrha off balance. Seeing her stumble, a chance opened up; he jabbed forward for a stabbing strike, but Pyrrha's reaction speed was superb, and she glided his sword aside with her polarity, making Jaune fall forward into the snow.

"Well done," she giggled, sheathing her weapon. "While you still lost, you did manage to create an opening for a killing strike, assuming that I was an ordinary opponent." She helped Jaune to his feet and brushed the show off his shoulders.

"Thanks," Jaune sniffed. He let out a sneeze and wiped his nose. Arngeir came out to greet them.

"Dragonborn, please come inside so we may speak," the wise man told Jaune. Jaune and Pyrrha followed him inside, where he joined a number of Greybeards in a circle in the main room.

"What is this about?" Jaune inquired.

"While you have learned the entirety of the Unrelenting Force shout and a word of the Whirlwind Sprint, to prove that you are truly the Dragonborn foretold by the Elder Scrolls, we require you to complete a certain challenge for us," Arngeir answered.

"What kind of challenge do you request?" Pyrrha asked.

"Jaune Arc must traverse to the ruins of Ustengrav and retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, the founder of our order," spoke one Greybeard. "Once you find the Horn, bring it back and we will continue our teachings unto you."

"Doesn't sound so hard," boosted Jaune. "I'm sure I can get it done in just a few days."

"You are quite confident in your abilities for one so young," Arngeir remarked.

"Well, Jaune is an Arc, and back home, the Arc family is renown for their abilities in combat," Pyrrha added. "I am confident in his own abilities as well."

"Well, when you are ready, head northwest to the city of Morthal, then northeast of the city and you should find the ruins there," Arngeir instructed. "But be warned, for the dead there never sleep peacefully."

"Thank you, Sir Arngeir," Jaune said with a bow, then strolled over to the small bed where he and Pyrrha kept their gear. Pyrrha walked behind him and waited for Jaune to gather his gear together.

"I believe this will be a difficult journey for the both of us," Pyrrha noted as she gathered her pack before slipping her fur coat around her. "But I know we will be alright."

"I hope so," Jaune muttered as he lazily gathered his gear. Pyrrha, sensing that her partner seemed out of it, put her hand on his shoulder and spun him around.

"Jaune, are you alright?" she asked him, looking at the frown on his face.

"I just…even after all that I've seen, from me defeating dragons, absorbing their souls, and learning this incredible Thu'um power that me, Jaune Arc, the most bumbling and least qualified Huntsman of Remnant, is this Dragonborn that will protect this world from some ancient dragon and be this land's hero." Jaune strolled over to his bed and sat down. "I just keep thinking that maybe the Divines of Tamriel…chose the wrong person for this."

"Don't think like that, Jaune!" Pyrrha suddenly snapped. She went over and pulled him to his feet. "You are stronger than you think you are, especially after slaying a few dragons when no one else could have."

"But that could've been dumb luck," he interjected.

"No it wasn't. Jaune, I know the Gods of this world were not wrong in their choice of you; you were chosen because you are special, and a great warrior. Besides, if you think that you aren't a great warrior back home, then you'll just have to prove everyone wrong; prove to them that Jaune Arc is not some dorky stumbling fool, but a great and powerful Huntsman with the power of the dragons flowing through him."

Jaune tilted his head down for a moment. When it came back up, a look of confidence replaced the one of despair. He took Pyrrha's hand and lifted himself onto his feet. "Thanks, Pyrrha," was all he said before he hoisted his pack onto his back and headed for the main doors, but Pyrrha grabbed his arm, making him stop. "What's up?"

"Well, Jaune, it's just that I…I believe that you will be a fantastic Dragonborn and Huntsman when this is all over," Pyrrha told him after a moment's hesitation. Jaune gave her a smirk and headed for the main doors again, where he waited for Pyrrha to come. Pyrrha let out a sigh and gathered her things, sheathing her spearsword at her hip. "It's funny, I can topple the strongest of foes, and yet I still cannot tell him the truth," she mumbled to herself with a weak smile. "Maybe I'll find the courage someday."

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune and Pyrrha made their way back down the mountain with no trouble, given that they know the path well now. They made their way back towards Whiterun the same way they came, following the river while staying on the stone road. After passing an abandoned prison, the two began to make idle chat. "I have to say, the nature out here is incredible," Pyrrha noted, catching a passing leaf in the wind. "It's so much different from Remnant, mainly it being mostly green."

"I guess Iris of our world must've extended her godly hand out to this world or something," Jaune kindly joked. He moved ahead of Pyrrha a couple steps, but she stayed behind him a step as well. Pyrrha gazed at his right hand swishing at his hand and slowly reached for it, until the same hand suddenly planted itself on her chest. "Pyrrha, stop!" Jaune ordered. Pyrrha looked up to see two cloaked figures a short distance away glaring at them.

One figure was slightly taller than the two Huntsmen, the other was the size of a small child. The larger figure was clad in dark red and green traveler garments, similar to the rangers that they met before, and there was a stone black hand and a half sword at his hip, with the cross-guard curving towards the blade. the grip was clad in light brown leather, and the scabbard was of black with a silver locket and chape. The man's right hand slowly drew the sword, revealing a brilliant steel blade. Jaune was quick with his blade and wrung his shield into his hand. "Stay back, Pyrrha, I'll handle him," he told her with a growl.

Pyrrha stepped up beside him with her spearsword and shield already in hand. "No, we're a team, Jaune, and we fight together." She gave him a smile, which he returned.

The little figure, which wore a brown tunic with a beige shirt and trousers, tugged on the man's leg. Jaune could see a book tucked under the little one's arm. "Are you going to fight him now?" said a young girl's voice. The little girl pulled down her hood, revealing dark skin, black hair, and deep brown eyes.

The man lowered his head, revealing himself as the ranger leader who visited Maura the night she rescued Jaune from drowning. His dark brown bangs hung in front of forest green eyes, but he paid it no heed. He kneeled down to the girl and patted her head with a smile. "Yes, daddy has work to do, so stay off to the sideline and read your book, okay, Keira?" The little girl Keira gave him a smile and a nod, which the man returned with a kiss on the cheek before she trotted over to a large rock and sat down upon it and sticking her face into the book. "Now, shall we, Jaune Arc?"

"Who are you, though?" Jaune asked the man, his sword and shield still raised.

"My name is Andril, and I am the leader of the rangers who watch over you and Skyrim. Pyrrha Nikos, I believe you have met some of my followers before." Pyrrha quickly thought back to the group of rangers at Whiterun. "Jaune Arc, while you are continuously learning more and more of the power of the Thu'um, I have heard that your skills in battle leave much to be desired, even of this world."

"Wait, you know we are not from Tamriel?" Pyrrha exclaimed.

Andril gave her a chuckle. "Oh yes, I know. I know many things of Tamriel, but let us not grow distracted from my true purpose here." Andril unhooked his black cloak, which Keira took before retreating back to her rock. He extended his left hand towards Pyrrha, where his fingers then glowed a pale red, and Pyrrha suddenly found herself collapsing to the ground completely immobilized.

"What did you do to Pyrrha, you bastard?" Jaune demanded.

"Do not worry, I used a Calm spell to keep her out of this fight," Andril chuckled. "If I am going to test your prowess, then we cannot have any interference." With that, Andril leapt at Jaune with his sword raised. Jaune barely had time to raise his sword up to parry the attack before Andril came down onto his blade. "Good reflexes," Andril complimented. "but not enough." Andril slammed his foot into Jaune's chest, sending the boy tumbling to the ground rolling. Jaune quickly recovered to his feet and charged at Andril, swinging wildly, but the Imperial ranger easily sidestepped Jaune's sword strikes and clashed blades with the Dragonborn, sending their steel blades ringing across the wilderness. Jaune groaned as Andril put the pressure on him, sending him down on one knee inch by inch.

"You have plenty left to learn, as I can see," Andril noted as he pressed further into the ground.

"Don't give in yet!" Pyrrha called from the ground nearby. Jaune, hearing her voice, grit his teeth and rose to his feet again, the sound of grinding steel ringing louder than before.

"FUS RO DAH!" Jaune shouted, a brilliant blue wave of energy from his lips and sending Andril flying nearly ten feet away from him, allowing the blond to recover. Knowing how quick the ranger can be, Jaune dashed forward and leapt onto Andril, but the ranger quickly flipped his feet up, caught Jaune, and threw him over, making him tumble across the road. Both men returned to their feet and readied their swords at their sides.

"I am glad to see that you have mastered one of the many Thu'ums of Tamriel, Jaune Arc," Andril commented as he swished his blade at the air.

"You flatter me," Jaune chuckled. "You seem strong, but I'll have you know that I am Pyrrha Nikos' esteem student." He could not see it, but Pyrrha was smiling with blush in her cheeks. Jaune gripped his sword tight and charged at Andril with a battlecry. He slashed downward–a dodge from the ranger–then a horizontal strike, which was blocked. Jaune quickly spun around and slammed his foot into Andril's chest, knocking him down. "How's that for some moves?"

Andril got back to his feet. "Impressive." He quickly dashed forward and struck, but found Jaune's shield, followed by a horizontal swipe, which the ranger ducked under before leaping back out of range. He nodded his head in approval. "I am most impressed, but I have been holding back up to now." Suddenly, the magic bind on Pyrrha broke and she was quick to get behind Andril with her spearsword raised to strike.

Pyrrha struck forward, but her blade instead found thin air and Andril behind her. He wrung her sword and shield from her hands and forced her to the ground. He planted his fingers across her forehead, and she suddenly fell forward, where she remained still. "Don't worry, it is merely a sleeping charm; she will wake up in about ten minutes or so." Jaune let loose a sigh of relief, content that Pyrrha was alright. However, this made Jaune drop his guard, allowing Andril to swat away his sword and shield from his hands and grab him by the throat. "You are pitiful in allowing yourself to lose focus in battle," Andril hissed, his kind voice now replaced with a venomous tongue. "I expected better of you, Jaune Arc." Andril tightened his grip, then he tossed Jaune to the ground, then sheathed his sword. "If you want my assistance ever again, then get stronger and gain more knowledge in the Thu'um, as all I see right now is wasted potential. Keira, time to go." Keira hopped off her rock and jogged to her father, where she handed his black cloak back to him. Andril gave Jaune a final glare before the pair walked off to the west.

Jaune sheathed his weapons and went over to Pyrrha's side, holding her sleeping body in his arms waiting for the spell's duration to end. True to Andril's word, ten minutes pass, and Pyrrha slowly opened her eyes to find Jaune staring at her. She quickly went red in the cheeks for a moment before flinging herself out of his arms. "What happened?" she asked him as she brushed the dirt off her armor.

Jaune stretched out his legs as he sighed. "I lost to Andril and he called me a failure, saying I am just wasted potential," he explained. He got up wandered over to a boulder, which he planted his head against. "Remember what I said back at High Hrothgar, about maybe how the Divines of Tamriel chose the wrong person for this?"

"Do not say that, Jaune!" snapped Pyrrha. She stomped over to him where she yanked him around and shook him. "You are not a failure, and the Gods did not make a mistake!" Jaune tilted his head away from her. Pyrrha's eyes narrowed and she, surprisingly, slapped his face. "Jaune, look at me!" Jaune obeyed and stared at her emerald-green eyes. "Jaune, you are strong, I've seen it. Never in my wildest dreams would I even think I could fight a dragon, let alone kill one, but you kill them with such ease."

"Only because of this Dragonborn power," Jaune mumbled. Pyrrha placed her hand on his cheek and aimed him back towards her.

"No, it's because you are incredibly strong, more than you think." She placed her hand on his armor's chest. "You have a big heart full of bountiful courage." Pyrrha looked up into Jaune's eyes and instantly felt at ease. She swallowed hard and beckoned towards him, hoping to give him a kiss, but she canceled out quickly and instead gave him a hug, holding him close.

"Pyrrha…?" Jaune questioned.

"I have faith that you can succeed, Jaune," she told him. "I believe in you, as I always have had." She pushed him away and took his hand in hers, clenching it tight. "Now, let's go to Ustengrav and get that horn, huh?" Jaune nodded with a grin and the two headed on towards Whiterun together.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Andril and Keira had already passed the bridge over the bridge near Honningbrew Meadery with Whiterun in the distance by the time Jaune and Pyrrha resumed their journey, and they met Maura at the previous side. "I saw your little battle with Jaune Arc," she told him.

"And what of it?" Andril asked nonchalantly.

"Why must you be so hard on him? He has barely mastered one Thu'um, and you challenge him to a fight knowing full well he has little chance in beating you."

Andril let out a sigh as he and his daughter walked past the Wood Elf sorceress. "Maura, I saw him, and his combat skills are lackluster and pitiful."

"Don't you DARE say that about Jaune!" she barked.

Andril glared at Maura, making her shrink back, but he did nothing and continued on, motioning Maura to follow him. "We have other work to do anyway," Andril commented, scooping up Keira and putting her on his shoulders. "While Jaune Arc is weak now, I do have a little faith that he can grow stronger." Maura gave her master a small smile, content that he still believes in the boy. She clasped her hands together and quickly whispered a prayer to the Gods to watch over Jaune as she trotted behind Andril.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

By the time Jaune and Pyrrha arrived at Whiterun, the sky was bask in beautiful twilight. Upon arriving at the Breezehome, they noticed that Ren and Nora have not yet returned from their trip, which they hope would be soon. "I vote we rest for the night then set out tomorrow morning," Jaune declared, which Pyrrha had no objection to. They set aside their gear, striped out of their armor, and collapsed onto their beds, where they fell asleep within minutes.

A few hours pass, and Ren and Nora's carriage arrived at its destination. Ren paid the travel fee and carried a sleeping Nora into their Breezehome. Inside, he laid Nora in her bed and went to the sitting room, where he started a fire in the fireplace. Ren stared at the dancing embers for what felt like forever with the parchment depicting the Dark Brotherhood handprint on the table before him, contemplating his choices.

_They said that I could be a valuable asset to them,_ he mulled in his mind. _Cinder said that I could help erase the evil in this world by committing evil, but does that make it justified? Was she even telling the truth to me?_ Ren stared at his own hand and envisioned Grelod's blood on it. _I committed another murder, but would killing more people clean my hands, even if they deserved such fates?_

Ren clenched his hand tight and grit his teeth. After a few minutes, Ren went upstairs, where he used his Aura to silence his footsteps to avoid waking his friends. He silently packed a bag with some clothes, gathered his green-tinted daggers, gathered some dry food, water, and grabbed an iron sword from a weapon chest, which he slung to his back. He then scribbled out a small note and left it on the kitchen's counter. Lastly, Ren returned to the bedroom, where he brushed the sleeping Nora's cheek with his hand before giving her a light kiss.

"Nora, I'm sorry, but I have to do this," he whispered to her, not receiving a response in return. "If I don't do this, I know there is little I can do to clean my hands of my deeds." He gave his team one last glance before leaving the house, where he then made his way towards the Falkreath region on foot.

**–The Next Day–**

Jaune and Pyrrha was soundly awakened by a screaming Nora going, "Good morning, Team JNPR!" as she leapt onto Jaune, making him yell out an "UGH!" before he rolled over onto the floor and Pyrrha quickly exited her bed just before Nora leapt onto it.

"Good morning, Nora, I take it you and Ren returned home sometime last night?" Pyrrha said with a yawn. Jaune crawled over to the wall away from the beds as Nora continuous to jump on the beds. "Yup, I fell asleep on the carriage last night, and Ren must've carried me to bed," she explained. "How about we have Ren make us some Skyrim pancakes today?" Jaune agreed with his companion while throwing a shirt on himself. When the three headed downstairs, they could not find Ren anywhere, but Nora found the note on the table. "Look at this:

"Dear_ Jaune, Pyrrha, and Nora, by the time you find this, I will be already be gone. Do not worry for me, for I know that I am doing what must be done. I know that I am abandoning you in our quest to return home to Remnant, and I must ask you to forgive me. I wish I can tell you why I left, but if I did, then I fear you three will no longer be safe. Just know that I will return, and when I do, I will return a new man, clean of my sins._

_–Your friend, Ren._"

"Where could Ren have disappeared off to?" Pyrrha wondered.

"What do you think he is talking about us being in danger if he were to tell us where he is going?" Jaune asked as well. "Nora, you've known Ren forever, do you think you might know anything?"

"I…I don't know," she answered. "I just hope Ren's alright."

The three of them cooked a breakfast of hot bread and warm cheese, then they went to the baths (Jaune bathed after the girls out of curtesy, of course), and then they dressed in clean clothes and their armor. They charted a course for Morthal on their maps as they gathered the necessary items for the trip and set out on another journey.

"So, Nora, did you and Ren discover anything at the College of Winterhold the last couple days?" Jaune asked her after an hour's walk.

"Well, we spoke to the arch mage there, and he told us that there is no such thing as teleportation magic of any kind, be it magic or potions, like how we somehow got here to begin with."

"Damn, back to square one yet again." Pyrrha placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, we will find some way home, let's just focus on finding this horn and improve on your Dragonborn powers," she told him.

"Thank you, Pyrrha." The trio continued on northwest for about two hours more, steering clear of the giants and their large mammoths, though a couple gave friendly waves to the travelers as they pass. Eventually, they came across four bandits with a captured person, which Jaune did not hesitate in declaring an attack to free the man.

Jaune ran at a Nord with his sword raised. The bandit quickly blocked his overhead strike with a halberd, but Jaune quickly slid his shield up high to hold the halberd in place, then he spun around and slashed his sword across the bandit's chest, killing him. He quickly spotted another bandit, this one was an Orc with twin Orcish axes. Jaune slipped a grin and inhaled, where he unleashed his unrelenting force shout, sending the Orc sprawling onto the ground with his axes away from him. Jaune wasted no time in leaping onto the Orc with his sword leading, then he dashed to the citizen's side, where he quickly cut his binds and acted as a guard to him while he hastily expressed his thanks.

Pyrrha was met with a Khajiit armed with twin daggers. The Khajiit was quick with her daggers, swishing them through the air as Pyrrha constantly dodged them. She saw one small blade coming at her, and she forced it aside with her polarity, surprising the Khajiit before Pyrrha's blade connected with her stomach.

Nora was more fierce with the remaining bandit. She simply jumped at him with a hoot and slammed her warhammer into his side, sending him tumbling across the ground before remaining still.

The captive at this point was practically calling Jaune and crew as Gods for rescuing him. They gave him some food, a dagger, and some coins to help him out before he headed for Whiterun. They watched him disappear before continuing on their journey. Within four hours, they arrived at Morthal, which happened to be shrouded in fog.

Walking through Morthal, team JNP noticed that the ground was mostly soggy, wet, and covered in disgusting swamp fungus. Trees twisted and warped about in their places, giving off an ominous atmosphere, and the people seemed to be avoiding them; perhaps they do not like travelers?

The trio quickly found the Moorside Inn, run by a Redguard woman named Jonna. "Ah, customers. Welcome to the Moorside, travelers. We don't have much, but we have dry floors, and that counts for something," she told them as they entered. Nearby, an Orc was playing a lute to no one while singing a song, though the team found his singing grating to their ears. "What can I do for you three?" Jonna asked.

Jaune laid his map onto the counter, which Jonna headed behind to to look. "We are looking for some ancient Nordic ruins by the name of Ustengrav, do you know where it might be?"

Jonna looked at the map for a moment at the surrounding area around Morthal. "Sorry, can't help you, but if you head to the Jarl's house, she should help you out, but be warned, she claims to be a mystic, and I would advise you not to insult her beliefs." Jaune thanked her for her words and the trio headed for the Jarl's house, where they found three men arguing outside; they appeared to be arguing about Jarl Idgrod herself and her strange mystic powers. Not wanting to get involved in something they know nothing about, team JPN entered the Jarl's home and approached her throne, where they kneeled before her; even Jaune remembered to.

"Ah, so life has brought you to Morthal, and to me. What purpose this serves, we will no doubt see. Welcome." said Jarl Idgrod as she shifted on her throne.

"Greetings, my Jarl," spoke Jaune. "We are travelers from Whiterun, and we were hoping that you could help point us to the ancient Nordic ruins of Ustengrav."

"Why yes, I can help you in finding the ruins. They lie northeast of the city, and my steward, Aslfur, can mark it on your maps," Idgrod answered. Aslfur, who also happens to be the Jarl's husband. Pyrrha and Nora followed him into a small room where a map of Skyrim was, marked with all the major cities, towns, and surrounding ruins, mines, and so on; Jaune attempted to follow the ladies, but he was stopped by Idgrod, who beckoned him towards her. When he did so, she took his hand in hers and closed her eyes, allowing hums to escape her lips.

"So, the rumors that dragons have returned to Skyrim are true," she finally mumbled after a minute. "The Eight were correct, after all, just as I thought."

"Jarl Idgrod?" Jaune asked, hoping to get an answer, but she ignored him, from the looks of it.

Suddenly, Idgrod let out a gasp and fell from her throne, but Jaune was quick to catch her. A guard rushed to the throne to assist his Jarl, but Idgrod quickly recovered from her fall and returned to her seat. "Jaune Arc, the Eight have informed me that a long, dark, and difficult road lies ahead of you. I can see evil wizards, dangerous beasts, the undead, Elves, Giants, and creatures that dwell in the night. I can see…I can see that your duty as a Dragonborn will not be over even when Alduin is slain by your hand, if you should succeed in your destiny."

"What do you mean, Jarl Idgrod?" Jaune asked, curious as to what enemies she meant by.

"A time will come when you must make the most difficult of decisions. A time when you will stare death in the eye many times until you see him as a close friend. A time when your choices will mean peace for all, or war for time for come."

When she finished speaking, Pyrrha and Nora returned with their maps marked with the location of the ruins. Idgrod waved Jaune off, and the team exited the home and headed northeast for Ustengrav.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Within four hours, the group found the entrance to the ruins buried within the ground, but when they neared the entrance, they took cover behind boulders, for they spotted a couple bandits who set up residence there. Before they could even think to act, a necromancer soon appeared and attacked the two bandits with a lightning spell. The team watched as both bandits soon fell dead, then the necromancer spun his hands around, and the bodies glowed with an eerie blue aura before rising to their feet again. "That mage must have some kind of spell that allows him to resurrect the dead," Pyrrha whispered to the others.

"Yeah, if I remember this one fantasy novel Blake showed once, he's supposed to be a necromancer, a mage who specializes in using dead bodies to fight for him," Jaune recalled. "Okay, if we take out the necromancer, the bandits will go back to being dead again since their caster will be dead as well."

"Remember that your lightning spells can drain his magicka, Jaune," reminded Pyrrha. Jaune held up three fingers and counted down. When he reached one finger, he flicked his hand and the three ran out at the necromancer. Jaune let loose a storm of lightning onto the necromancer, forcing the Dark Elf down to his knees as he felt his magicka pool sap away. Pyrrha took this chance to dash forward, thanks to her Aura, and slash across the necromancer's chest, killing him quickly before the resurrected bandits could get close to either of them. The bandits crumpled to the ground, now forever at rest.

Team JNP took some time to relax at the small bandit encampment at the entrance to eat some food and water. After a short rest, they entered Ustengrav, the tomb of Jurgen Windcaller.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Nearly half a day later, Jaune, Pyrrha, and Nora found themselves in the depths of Ustengrav after fighting their way through Draugr and warlocks. They soon came upon an open area with an open ceiling that allowed in sunlight, as well as a brilliant waterfall that created a small pond at the ground level. Glorious green trees sprouted from the ground, and the trio were at the top of the room, with a earth-made bridge leading to a few rocky platforms sticking from the walls and to the ground floor. They moved together, striking down any Draugr and Skeletons that came at them.

After walking through some tunnels and avoiding fire traps, the team found a word wall, which Jaune did not hesitate to approach; he absorbed the Dovah word, _Fiem_, or "Fade," the first word of the Become Ethereal, a dragon shout that will allow Jaune to become ethereal, or a form of invisibility where he cannot deal nor receive damage."Wow, that was so cool, Jaune!" hooted Nora. "You're looking stronger with each day!"

Eventually, they came across a passageway with three barred gates, but they discovered three stone posts bearing strange runes upon them. The team soon learned that approaching the stone posts will make them illuminate with a red glow, which then made each of the gates rise, granting passage. Jaune quickly made a dash for the open gates, but they quickly closed before he could reach them, forcing him to slide to the ground to a stop.

"I suspect that we will have to move quickly upon activating the gates if we want to proceed further," Pyrrha noted.

"Yeah, easy for you guys that have Aura to make you move fast," Jaune groaned, wiping the dirt from his clothes.

"Jaune, remember the whirlwind sprint shout you learned." Jaune went bug-eyed for a second, realizing that he can move fast with that shout. He slapped his forehead for being so stupid.

Pyrrha offered to go first. She stood at the front of the stone slaps while Jaune and Nora activated them. As soon as the gates rose, she ran at full speed with Aura enhancement, allowing her to speed through the gates before any of them could close. She pulled the three chains, allowing Jaune and Nora to rejoin with her. They soon came upon a couple large Frostbite Spiders. "FUS RO DAH!" Jaune screamed, sending the spiders flying against the rock walls and landing upside down. The three rushed in and plunged their weapons into their exposed bellies.

Continuing on, they soon found a closed gate, but the pull chain was directly next to it. Passing through the gate, they came upon the burial site of Jurgen Windcaller. A brilliant water bed filled the room with a wide stone bridge in the middle of the chamber. Four small pillars adorned either side of the bridge. Across the room, the group could spy the coffin of Jurgen Windcaller with a stone hand clutching something. As the three crossed the bridge, four large stone statues rose from the water surface. Approaching the coffin, Jaune noticed two dead Draugr on either side of the coffin, two of the three sarcophaguses open. "I think someone may have been here already, and if so, they could still be here," he warned. He pulled his blade from its scabbard for an easy draw if need be, and the girls did the same. He went for the stone hand, and realized that what was in the hand was not the horn, but a note. It read:

"_Dragonborn–_

_I need to speak to you. Urgently._

_Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, and I'll meet you._

_-A friend_"

"What is this?" Nora wondered.

"I dunno," answered Pyrrha. "But whoever it is, they know who Jaune is, and that he is the Dragonborn, which only the Jarl and his court, as well as Aela of the Companions should know about."

"This person must have taken the horn, so it looks like we have no choice but to return to Riverwood and find this 'friend' of ours," sighed Jaune. "We will all go together."

Suddenly, the remaining sarcophagus burst open, and a Draugr Lord crept from it, a large ancient bastard sword on its back. Team JNP drew their weapons as the undead man growled at them with its burning red eyes. "Back off, this one is mine," Jaune ordered. Pyrrha opened her mouth to protest, but Nora grabbed her arm and dragged her away.

"Let him fight this one," she whispered to the redhead. "Can't you see? Jaune wants to fight on his own, with his own strength." The girls retreated to the other side of the bridge so their leader and the Draugr had plenty of room.

Jaune wasted no time in using his prime shout. "FUS RO DAH!" He sent the Draugr against the wall as he leapt at it with his blade raised. The Draugr threw up its guarded arm, blocking the ebony blade with its rusted gauntlet as the two fought for dominance. The Draugr suddenly kicked Jaune onto his back, allowing it to recover to its feet. Jaune recovered as well, quickly jumping to his feet and raising his shield. Both combatants circled around each other, both glaring for an opening in the other's defenses. Jaune saw one and acted quick, striking at the Draugr's side, but it blocked it with a free arm, then it brought its sword onto Jaune's shield, sending him down to one knee, but that was his trick; Jaune quickly spun around and struck at the Draugr's knees, making it wince backwards. He quickly abandoned his shield to grapple the undead's blade hand, wrestling his foe to the ground. From there, Jaune drew his dagger and plunged it directly in between the Draugr's eyes rapidly, killing it instantly. He retrieved his gear and breathed easy as the girls returned to him. Nora was whooping like there was no tomorrow while Pyrrha gave him a big hug and congratulated him.

Together, they returned to the entrance, where they camped for the night and setting out for Riverwood come morning. While they did not know who this mysterious friend was, nor what their intentions were, the team knew they had little choice but to meet them if they wish to retrieve the horn so Jaune can finish his training with the Greybeards. Little did they know, their quest will only grow more difficult in time, and Jaune will soon find himself the prime enemy of the Thalmor Empire, but also the one man they will fear.


	8. Dragons & Thalmor

**A/N: **To advance Jaune's Thu'um abilities more quickly and to allow more "story feel," he learns a Shout word through absorbing a Dragon Shout, despite that not being possible in-game.

**Chapter 8: Dragons &amp; the Thalmor**

Jaune was eager and curious to know who would want to speak to him, so he made sure his team set out for Riverwood at the crack of dawn. They ate a quick breakfast and with Pyrrha leading ahead of them, they arrived at the gates of Whiterun within a few hours and then they headed south for Riverwood, which took about an hour. All three members of JNP collapsed at the entrance gate tired and out of breath, but they picked themselves back up and stumbled into the Sleeping Giant Inn where they ordered two tall mugs of water, downing them instantly.

Delphine came out of the back room to find JNP chugging their mugs. "Is there anything I can help you three with?" she asked, resting her hands on the bar counter.

"Yes, we would like to rent the attic room for the day," Jaune replied after wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"Um, we do not have an attic room," Delphine answered.

"Well, I wish to rent the attic room, and I have heard word that the Sleeping Giant Inn has an attic room."

Delphine let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, but whatever you may heard is wrong, but I will give you the best room we have to compensate." She lead the three off to her left into a room containing two beds, a dresser, a closet cabinet, a chair and end table, which held a lit candle and a book. "I'll let you three get settled in for a minute while I go prepare some hot bread and cheese for you three." Delphine disappeared behind the door and left the three Huntsmen alone.

"Well, at least we made it here in one piece, and within a day's journey," Pyrrha noted as she collapsed into the end table's chair. Jaune took his time in shedding his steel armor, groaning as he slid the pauldrons off his shoulders and rested his sword and shield onto one of the beds. Nora, after taking off her armor and tossing it in a corner along with Magnhild–though she gave her sledgehammer more care–then she climbed onto the other bed and began bouncing up and down on it, whooping and she swung her legs about to form various bouncing formations.

Delphine returned, but without a tray of bread and cheese as she promised. Once she spotted Nora bouncing on the bed, her face turned sour. "Get down from there!" she barked, which Nora obeyed, but not without sticking her tongue at her and pulling on one of her eyelids. "Anyway, it seems you got my letter," Delphine continued.

"Wait, you left that letter?" Pyrrha questioned, answered with a nod. "Then you have the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller?"

"I do," Delphine answered. She procured the horn from her pouch and handed it to Jaune, who stuffed it into his bag. "Look, I need your help, well, at least Jaune Arc's. Follow me." Delphine wandered over to the closet cabinet and stuck a key into its lock and opened it, revealing a downward staircase into a separate cellar. JNP followed her downstairs, where they found a couple weapon racks, some armor, shelves of potions, alchemy ingredients, food, a couple chests containing various items, and in the center, a large table where a map of Skyrim laid. Riverwood was marked clear, much like the various capital cities of the Nine Holds. "I called you here because I need your help, Jaune Arc."

"Why on Remnant would you need my help?" Jaune asked, puzzled.

"I have heard the rumors in Whiterun that you are a Dragonborn. Whether they are true or not, I suppose I will find out soon enough. Anyway, I believe that the dragons are returning to Skyrim, but not from some faraway place, but from the dead."

"How can you explain this?" Pyrrha questioned. "I mean, we've seen Draugr in Nordic ruins rise from the dead, and necromancers commanding the dead, but…"

"Yes, but the Nordic ruins you've all explored have been cursed so the dead there can rise from the grave to protect their treasures, and necromancers are definitely not involved with the dragons; it would demand magic far beyond their power to raise a dragon."

Nora did not care for the conversation, instead preoccupying herself by investigating a nearby bookshelf. She shuffled through the shelves, oohing at the various bowls of alchemy dust and plants. She took hold of a troll toe, eyeing it curiously. She gave it a sniff, then she tossed it away in disgust, making a sound to accompany it. Nora investigated the various potions, though she stole a glance back at the others, confirming that they were still occupied with their own conversation. She spotted a potion vial containing a sparkling cobalt blue potion. Licking her lips, she popped it open and downed it, wiping her lips with her sleeve. She gave a cough, where blue fumes exited her mouth.

"Whoa," she mumbled under breath, giving another blue-fumed cough. Then her eyes saw the Daedric warhammer leaning against a weapon rack. Checking that Delphine was not looking, Nora slowly and carefully stole away the warhammer, then she quickly and quietly ascended the staircase and returned with her steel warhammer, which she set back in the spot. She shrinked back beside Pyrrha, giving the redhead a wink when given a weird look.

"I suspect that the Thalmor are behind the resurrection of the dragons and the return of Alduin somehow," Delphine explained while Nora was committing her theft. "The Thalmor are Elvish supremacists, so you know, and I will be needing your help, Jaune Arc. After deciphering the Dragonstone you retrieved from Bleak Falls Barrow, I have discovered that the next dragon ready for resurrection is located near the town of Kynesgrove, so I want you to accompany me there."

"Why would Jaune be needed though?" Pyrrha asked.

"Only the absorption of a dragon's soul can permanently kill them, and a Dragonborn is the only one capable of doing so. Besides, if you're truly a Dragonborn, then it should be no trouble for you." Delphine crossed her arms, giving him a smirk. Jaune did not even think it over for a second when he said he will do it. "You're quite brave for one so young," Delphine commented. "Well, we shall set out for Kynesgrove at once." She then stole a glance at Nora. "And Nora Valkyrie, next time you want a nice new weapon, just ask." Nora gave a little jump, nodding furiously.

After garbing themselves in their armor, whereas Delphine dressed in leather armor and wrung a steel sword to her belt, they set out east for Kynesgrove immediately. It took them a few hours to reach the small settlement with them all running at top speed with short breaks, but as soon as they entered the area, they were approached by a hysteric Iddra. "You four need to get out of here, a dragon just flew over the burial mound!" she screamed before running off.

"No, we might be too late!" Delphine cursed before breaking into a sprint for the burial site with JNP following behind them, though Pyrrha and Nora kept up by enhancing their speed with Aura, though Jaune was almost lagging behind, himself puffing and heaving. When he finally caught up with the ladies, they were hiding behind a couple large boulders; Pyrrha pulled him down quickly, shoving his face into her chest while muttering at him to stay quiet. From their hiding spot, they could see a large dragon hovering over the mound, consisting of dirt, rocks, and the skeletal remains of a dragon. Jaune's eyes went wide, for he recognized the dragon as Alduin, the World-Eater, and the one he saw face-to-face at Helgen, who also indirectly saved his life as well. They watched as Alduin shouted onto the mound, colorful gusts of air enveloping the skeleton. Suddenly, flesh, skin, and scales formed over the bones, and the dragon known as Sahloknir was reborn.

_"Ah, Sahloknir, it is good to see your body returned to this world,"_ Alduin spoke to the resurrected dragon in the Dovah tongue, though, again, only Jaune could understand. Jaune himself crept to the edge of the boulder to get a closer look at Alduin, his enemy and the one he is destined to kill or be killed by.

_"Alduin, my overlord! An age has passed since we last saw each other. Have you destroyed the power of the ancient kings?" _Sahloknir said to his king.

_"Yes, Sahloknir, my trusted ally, the power of kings is gone forever." _Jaune felt entranced by the dragons' conversation, and in a blind state, he wandered out of their hiding spot and into view of the dragons while Pyrrha and Delphine hushed at him to retreat back to their hiding spot. Jaune's hand curled around his sword's hilt. Alduin noticed Jaune and turned to him, but neither attacked. _"So, Dovahkiin, you have arrived. I must say, when I learned the last Dovahkiin would be at Helgen, I never thought I would end up saving your life from the chopping block instead."_

Jaune stared at Alduin for a minute, wondering how he is supposed to respond, not knowing how to speak in the Dovah language. "You do not even know our tongue, do you? Such arrogance, to call yourself a Dovah," Alduin remarked, now in the common tongue, as Delphine, Pyrrha, and Nora emerged from their hiding spot, their weapons in hand. _"Sahloknir, kill these mortals." _With that, Alduin flew away, leaving Jaune and his friends to confront the dragon.

"Surround him and take him down!" Delphine ordered. Jaune and Pyrrha banded together and worked to flank the dragon while Nora, grinning like a child in a candy store, gripped Magnhild 2.0 and confronted Sahloknir head on. The dragon lashed its jaws at the bumbling girl, but with a whoop, she swung her new Daedric warhammer upward, striking the dragon hard and knocking his head aside. With Sahloknir briefly stunned, Jaune charged up a bolt of lightning and fired it at his face, giving him a good zap. Pyrrha moved forward and struck at Sahloknir's side before leaping back, where Delphine exchanged places, striking at him as well.

"Pyrrha, launch me!" Jaune ordered, dropping his shield. Pyrrha dropped her weapons and gripped Jaune by his arm. By channeling her Aura, she lifted Jaune and swung herself around twice and launched him at Sahloknir, where his free hand caught hold of one of Sahloknir's horns and swung around to land atop his head. Sahloknir thrashed about to knock Jaune off, but the boy managed to cut deep into his head before being thrown off, sprawling across the snowy ground. He quickly recovered, and he caught his shield thrown by Pyrrha. Sahloknir let out a mighty roar and took to the skies. "Delphine, fire your bow at him! Pyrrha, we'll both use our magic! Nora, when Sahloknir lands, I need you to hit him immediately!" Nora gave a salute and followed after the dragon to ensure she'll be near him when he eventually lands. Delphine drew a wooden bow and fired arrows at Sahloknir, despite them doing little damage. Together, they unleashed a combined storm of lightning bolts and fireballs onto Sahloknir. Fire lapped at his scaly skin and lightning surged at his face, making him roar in pain.

Sahloknir landed with a thunderous boom, and that's when Nora leapt atop his horned head and reeled her warhammer back. "FORE!" she yelled as she drove her warhammer into the side of Sahloknir's face, making him roar in agony, thrashing about and sending Nora tumbling to the ground.

"NORA!" Pyrrha called, ready to rush to her aid until Sahloknir got between them.

"You best worry for yourself, girl, for I am your enemy here!" the dragon hissed in the common tongue. He lunched at Pyrrha, snapping his jaws at her, but suddenly–

"FUS RO DAH!" Jaune shouted, a wave of energy blasting into Sahloknir, forcing his attention from Pyrrha long enough for her to escape his range. "I am your enemy, Sahloknir, and I won't allow you to harm my comrades!" Sahloknir diverted his attention from Pyrrha and headed towards Jaune. Now, it was a battle between the Dragonborn and a dragon. Sahloknir lashed forward with his open jaws, but Jaune dodged aside and swung his sword up, striking Sahloknir in the side of his cheek, making him roar. Sahloknir snapped at him again, this time meeting Jaune's shield followed with a quick sword stab into his left eye, blinding him.

"Curse you, Dovahkiin!" Sahloknir roared in the common tongue. "You are but a mortal! How can you harm me like this?!"

"Because I am not some ordinary mortal," Jaune proclaimed as he raised his shield high. "I am a Huntsman of Vale and the Dragonborn of Skyrim! It is my duty to protect the people of this land and my homeland!"

"Lead by an oath to protect lowly mortals, then? A dovahkiin, a mortal with the power of the Thu'um, and you use it to protect them rather than rule over them."

"That's my decision, and I wouldn't expect a dragon like you, who has done nothing but fight against mankind and seek to destroy the world with Alduin, to understand." Jaune raised his sword to fight again.

"Very well, then I will not hesitate in killing you as per my instructions." Sahloknir opened his jaws and readied his fiery breath shout, but Jaune simply sneered.

"You seem to have forgotten that I am not your only enemy." From behind, Nora swept around and bashed Sahloknir's face aside, disabling his fire breath shout. Delphine leapt forward and plunged her sword into Sahloknir's neck, prompting a howl of pain from the dragon. Pyrrha leapt atop Sahloknir's head and plunged her sword into his skull, but he did not die from it. "Pyrrha, catch!" Jaune shouted, tossing his sword to her. She guided the ebony blade into her hand with her polarity and hacked away at Sahloknir's head with both blades, then plunged both blades into his skull, making him go still, but still not dead, not entirely.

Pyrrha leapt off and handed Jaune his sword back, telling him, "It is fitting that the Dragonborn should finish a dragon off." Jaune approached the wounded Sahloknir and plunged his sword directly in between his eyes, silencing him forever. After withdrawing his blade, Jaune gave it a swing, knocking the blood from it and sheathed it, then slung his shield over his back. Just as his shield hit his back with a KNOCK, Sahloknir's body began evaporating into the beautiful range of colored winds, which then enveloped Jaune, this time, however, he only lurched forward, taking deep breaths. He regained his breath after about half a minute this time; he figures that each absorption of a dragon's soul lessened the pain. His mind flashed with a word of the Throw Voice Thu'um: _"Zul," _or "Voice." The skeletal body of Sahloknir now remains intact, now forever a warning to the dragons of the Dragonborn's strength.

"So, you truly are a Dragonborn," Delphine commented as she approached. "Forgive me for ever doubting you, Jaune Arc."

"Thank you, Delphine," he told her.

"Now, the next step will begin, but first, you best return the horn to High Hrothgar and finish your training as Dragonborn, but be swift, for we have a little under three weeks time before its too late; I will explain more once you return to the Sleeping Giant's Inn." Delphine came forward and dropped a pouch of Septims into his hand. "Use this for a carriage to Ivarstead and return to my Inn as soon as possible; do not even falter in your journey."

Jaune gave her a nod and JNP turned and returned to Kynesgrove, where they found a carriage driver, who was happy to take them to Ivarstead once he saw the money pouch. The journey took half a day, and when they arrived, Jaune tossed the driver a small gem with promise of more if he stayed there for them. The climb up to High Hrothgar was a lot easier the second time, and they reached the monastery within a couple hours time. Greeting Arngeir with the horn was pleasing for all the Greybeards, and so, they all gathered in the main hall to recognize Jaune as the Dragonborn. The blond boy stood center, surrounded by all the Greybeards, who all began shouting at him in the Dovah tongue. Jaune shuddered and stumbled to one knee as he heard this in the common tongue:

_"Long in sorrow has waited the Stormcrown, with no worthy head to rest on. By our Voice we give it now to you, Dragonborn, by the power of Kyne, by the power of Shor, and by the power of Atmora-of-old. You have become now Ysmir, Dragon of the North. Remember these words."_

Jaune felt as if the wind was knocked out of him, but when he pulled himself up, he felt anew with stamina, as if he was granted new power. "You have been accepted as the Dragonborn now," Arngeir told him. "High Hrothgar is free to you forever, and now, you must realize your destiny, which is to destroy Alduin before he resurrects his fallen brethren and destroys the world."

"We understand that," Pyrrha answered. "However, Jaune cannot defeat Alduin at his level; he needs to master every dragon shout there is for him to learn."

"I would advise against that, at least for now. Attempting to learn every shout there is right away would not put a great strain on Jaune Arc, but it could drive him mad with power. The power of the Thu'um is incredible, and can be very dangerous to any mortal. However, I will teach you the remainder of the Whirlwind Sprint shout and one more complete shout, to help you adjust to the power of the Thu'um." Arngeir lead Jaune outside, with Pyrrha and Nora following behind. The bright sun shone onto all of them amidst the clouds, even managing to make the snowy peak feel warm, though far ahead, a blurry snowstorm could be seen towards the top peak.

"The last two words of Whirlwind Sprint are _'Nah' _and _'Kest,'_ or fury and tempest. The complete shout would then be said as _'Wuld Nah Kest.' _Do you understand?"

"It sounds pretty simple," Jaune remarked. "Wuld Nah Kest."

"Again." Jaune repeated the shout in a calm tone. "Again." He repeated the words again. "Good. Now, I will transfer the shout to you." Jaune shifted his boots into the ground, preparing himself. Arngeir mumbled words in the Dovah language, and a blast of blue energy hit Jaune hard, sending him to one knee. The words "Nah" and "Kest" appeared in his mind. "You now know the complete Whirlwind Sprint shout, now try it yourself." Arngeir stood aside, giving Jaune plenty of space.

"WULD NAH KEST!" Jaune shouted, and his body was instantly shot forward at a blinding speed, and he emerged at a dead stop several meters away. He waited a few moments to regain himself, and he shouted it again, sending him flashing back to the other. Pyrrha gave a light applause while Nora jumped up and down hooting at him. "It's incredible," Jaune commented.

"Yes, but now, it's time for one more shout, known as Clear Skies. This is a passive shout, for it quite literally clears the skies of fog and inclement weather, such as rain, snow, and lightning. However, this can be dangerous, for it can cause droughts through constant use. The words of it are _'Lok Vah Koor,' _which translate to 'Sky Spring Summer."

"Lok Vah Koor," Jaune repeated several times until the words stuck in his head. Arngeir used the previously-used shout to transfer the words to Jaune again, sending him to his knee again. But when he arose, the words were clear as day in his mind. "LOK VAH KOOR!" he shouted. Within a minute, the once-cloudy sky became clear, and the nearby snowstorm that blanketed the mountain dispersed, revealing a long stone staircase to the top of the mountain.

"I believe it may be time for you to meet someone important to you," Arngeir then said. He lead Jaune, Pyrrha, and Nora up the stone staircase and up to the Throat of the World, the highest peak in all of Skyrim. When they reached the summit, JNP found themselves taken back in horror at the sight of a large dragon resting on the summit. Jaune was the first to draw his sword, but Arngeir shouted Kyne's Peace at him, and he instantly was calmed. "Stay your hand, for Paarthurnax means you no harm!"

"But it's a dragon!" Pyrrha protested.

"Yes, he is, but Paarthurnax is the leader of the Greybeards, and your ally, Dragonborn, for long ago, he betrayed Alduin and aided in his defeat in the Dragon War." Arngeir stood aside, allowing Jaune to approach the mighty dragon. Paarthurnax shifted upon the summit, and he landed down on even ground to greet Jaune.

_"What brings you to my mountain, mortal man?" _Paarthurnax asked in his native tongue. Jaune opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out; how was he to speak to Paarthurnax if he did not know the Dovah language? "I can speak common since it appears you do not know my tongue."

"You're…a dragon…" Jaune mumbled.

"Yes, I am as my father Akatosh made me. As are you…Dovahkiin."

"You know who I am, then."

"Yes, I felt your presence when you first climbed the mountain and entered High Hrothgar. I must say, for one so young and from so far away, you have grown stronger with each passing day," Paarthurnax complimented.

"Thank you, Paarthurnax," Jaune said, giving a bow.

"No need to bow to me, Dovahkiin."

"Thank you. I am curious about something. You're a dragon and yet Arngeir claims that you are an ally to me. How so?"

Paarthurnax was silent for a moment, then he spoke. "I shall tell my story to you another day, Dovahkiin. Right now, you should focus on growing in strength and power." Jaune gave a bow and he and his companions followed Arngeir back down to the monastery, where the three Huntsmen then made their way back down the mountain to return to Riverwood.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

"Ah, good, you're finally here," Delphine called to Jaune, Pyrrha, and Nora when they entered the Sleeping Giant Inn with night creeping across the sky.

"Mind if we sleep for the night first?" Jaune moaned, stretching his arms out, which made his shoulders pop. Delphine lead them both to the attic room and came back a few minutes with a tray of meat, bread, and cheese, along with three tall glasses of Nordic mead. After a well-deserved meal, the team went to bed, and come morning at 9 AM, Delphine was leading them all down into the cellar. Looking at the map now, a new place was marked, north of the Imperial-controlled city of Solitude.

"Now, I know a lot has happened in the last few days for you all, especially you, Jaune, but I need your help. I have already told you that I believe the Thalmor are behind the dragons' resurrection. See, the Thalmor are part of the Aldmeri Dominion, which nearly destroyed the Empire during the Great War, and they would profit greatly from the Stormcloaks defeating the Empire in this Civil War, which explains how Ulfric escaped Helgen, thanks to Alduin."

"Although, Alduin appearing did save our lives," Nora interjected.

"Why do you hate the Thalmor so much?" Pyrrha wondered. "Granted, they aided the Empire in capturing us when we first arrived in Skyrim, but they can't be completely evil."

"No, you are wrong! The Thalmor wiped out my organization back during the Great War! The Blades were a renowned group of dragon slayers and Talos worshipers who swore to protect the dragon bloodline. Long ago, the Blades were once the secret eyes and ears of the Septim Emperors, but now we are but a shadow of our former glory, all thanks to the Thalmor who hunted us down and decimated us."

"That is horrible," Pyrrha noted.

"It was, but as Grandmaster, I intend to get revenge for the Blades and the innocent lives they have taken. Years ago, the Thalmor roamed Skyrim murdering Talos worshippers and anyone else they deemed a threat, all in secrecy and they were never suspected. However, I know, I just know that they have something to do with the dragons' return, so I will need you three to help me."

"From what you say, the Thalmor do seem to be up to something. How can we help?" Jaune asked.

"The Thalmor Ambassador Elenwen often throws parties for the upper class citizens of Skyrim north of the city of Solitude, one of which she is holding in three weeks time, so I figure if I can send you three in disguised as nobles, you could look around for information. I'd go myself, but they would recognize me as a Blade. However, the Thalmor won't recognize you three, even though you were with Ulfric at Helgen, but considering that a number of Thalmor who were there were killed by Alduin when he attacked, I doubt anyone remembers you.

"I have a contact man at Solitude, a Bosmer, or a Wood Elf. He despises the Thalmor as much as I do after they murdered his family in Valenwood, so we can trust him in this. I have instructed him to be in the Winking Skeever during the day waiting for you three. Once you meet with him, I'll arrive at Solitude in a few days to give you your Embassy invitations, since I'll have to take some time to make them authentic. Once you get inside, sneak through the restricted areas and find out what sort of plans the Thalmor are planning and if they're involved with the dragons somehow, understand?" A round of nods. "Good, head to Whiterun and take a carriage to Solitude. I reserved a room for you three at the Winking Skeever with the rent paid under the name Underhill, so give them the name when you arrive. Remember, only the rent is paid, so you'll have to provide for your meals. Also, head to Radiant Raiment to purchase some nice clothes for the Embassy."

"Please tell me we don't have to buy our own clothes," Nora whined.

"I'm sorry, just about all my money went towards your room at the inn," Delphine explained. "Jaune, I know this will be difficult, but remember to keep a low profile while in Solitude and around the Thalmor; if they discover you're the Dragonborn, they won't hesitate to label you their enemy and kill you." Jaune felt scared for a moment, but he swallowed his fear and nodded. Jaune and company exited the inn about ten minutes later and headed north for Whiterun.

"We should stop by our house to gather some extra supplies and better outfit ourselves for the journey," Pyrrha advised while Nora skipped ahead of them when they passed the Whiterun Stables. Ahead of them, Nora stopped in her tracks when three people in cloaks stood in the path waiting for them. Jaune's hand went to his sword, but did not draw.

"It's good to see you again, Jaune Arc," said the figure in the middle, who lowered his hood, revealing himself as Andril. Beside him, the brute Enthwos was on his left, and the sorceress Maura was on his right. "I have heard that you completed your training with the Greybeards and slain Sahloknir as well. I am impressed. You have improved since we last fought."

"You're not here to challenge me again, are you?" Jaune questioned, his hand gripping tighter on his hilt.

"No, of course not. I came by to congratulate you and to let you know that a gift from us is waiting in your house. I believe you will find it most useful in your adventures. Also, it seems I was right to have a little faith in you still, but don't disappoint me anytime soon." He passed the three Huntsmen and continued down the path. Enthwos followed after him, giving Jaune a nod and grunt of approval, then Maura followed, but she took time to stop before Jaune.

"Jaune, it's a pleasure to meet you," Maura complimented with a bow. "We haven't had a proper meeting as you've been unconscious each time we met. My name is Maura, and I'm a Bosmer sorceress."

"It's, um, nice to meet you, Maura." Maura clasped her hands around Jaune's cheeks and brought herself close to him, close enough to make him blush.

"You've grown so much since I last saw you," she whispered with a kind smile. "It may have been a short time, but for one so special like you, you seem to be growing up every day. I'm proud of you, Jaune." She leaned forward and kissed his forehead, making him blush. "Be safe, for I wish to see you again soon." Then, with a wave of her hand, a yellow flowered materialized, and she tucked it into Jaune's shirt before following after Andril and Enthwos.

They continued on and entered their house. Sitting on a chair was a set of black chainmail and a small note. Jaune opened it up and read this:

_"This is dragonscale mail. It is harder than Daedric steel, and yet light as leather. Wear it, and may it protect you from anything you face, but do not trust your life with it, else you will die. -Andril and the Rangers."_

Jaune stripped off his steel armor and shirt to fit the dragonscale mail on. Taking a close look at it, he noticed that it consisted of black dragon scales fitted together with steel rings to connect it all together. True to the letter's word, it felt incredible light, though Jaune figures that magic may be the cause. He slipped it on over his undershirt and slipped his orange tunic back on. "How do I look?" he asked the girls.

"You look nice, plus, the mail blends in, so it would look invisible a little," Pyrrha commented.

"I think it makes him look sexy, don't you, Pyrrha?" Nora teased, making Pyrrha blush like crazy, though Jaune blushed as well. "We should also test it too." Nora drew a knife and gently stabbed it into Jaune's belly before he could react. He flinched from the knife, but even with the point cutting into his tunic, he did not feel any pain. Nora pressed deeper and deeper, until he finally started moaning in pain. "Well, it does seem to protect him rather well, that is if someone isn't trying to kill him directly."

"Thank the Gods for that," Jaune groaned, running his hand at the stab wound. There was not even any blood, and now that he thought of it, the knife's point felt more like a blunt spoon stabbing into him. Everyone packed some extra food, both dry and cookable, some more water, some clean clothes, even a few books to read, and Jaune and Pyrrha took time to head to Warmaiden's to sharpen their weapons and fix their armor; Nora said she was fine the way she was. When they were finished and made sure they had everything, they headed out to the Stables, but they ran into Blake at the city entrance, where she was showing new guard recruits the guard barracks. They all said hello, but explained they were on their way to Solitude on an emergency, which Blake understood.

The journey to Solitude took nearly the entire day, especially since JNP had to defend the carriage from two roving bandit groups. Upon arriving at the city, the group was mesmerized at the sea that stretched before them along the coast. They could smell salty water in the air, and the setting sun glinting off the water sent shivers through them. They paid the carriage driver and headed inside the city. Inside, they quickly located the Winking Skeever and went in.

"Welcome to the Winking Skeever, friend!" called the owner, Corpulus Vinius, from behind the counter across the large common room. "What can I get for you? A room? Some good food? Ah, maybe a nice pint of mead?" Nora smiled, feeling like she would like this man very much as a friend.

"Hello, we would like to rent a room. We have one in reserve under the name Underhill," Jaune explained.

"Oh, you're Underhill? Well, I'll show you all to your room." Corpulus lead them upstairs and to a room across the hall, which he unlocked with a key. Inside, the team laid their gear down and stretched, then Corpulus handed Jaune the key to their room. "Your rent is paid in full, but remember that you still need to pay for meals." He left the three on their own. However, they went downstairs and found Malborn sitting at a small table alone with a plate of food before him, his eyes shifting back and forth, probably watching for Thalmor.

"Malborn, Delphine sent us," Jaune said to him. The Bosmer gazed at him curiously.

"You're the one Delphine mentioned?" he questioned. "Well, if she trusts you, then I guess I will. I will be acting as a servant at the Thalmor Embassy, and I will be able to smuggle in some gear for you. Just give me whatever you would need and I can get it in under the Thalmor's eyes."

"Can you give us a moment, please?" Pyrrha told him, forcing Jaune and Nora away to a corner. "We should be more covert with this mission, as the last thing we would want is to go in like screaming tanks and end up with dozens of soldiers and mages upon us," she whispered to her team.

"But it would be more fun to smash some Elves' heads around with my new Magnhild," Nora whined, her voice growing loud and earning glances from a couple patrons.

"Nora, Pyrrha's right. We know little about the Thalmor, and I'd rather take things slow and learn more about them before having to fight. Besides, considering they have an entire small empire, their soldiers must be well-trained in both weapons and magic," Jaune argued, making Nora sulk somewhat. "I vote we hand Malborn some daggers, a couple swords, and some chainmail and clothes to sneak in, that way we can stay covert, but be prepared should we run into trouble."

"I can go buy Nora and I two sets of chainmail," volunteered Pyrrha. "I suppose you'll want to sneak in your new dragonscale mail?"

Jaune nodded. "Yeah, and I'd rather we get some perishable swords inside the Embassy rather than our own if things go south."

"I'll buy some simple iron swords then." Pyrrha returned to their room alone to grab their money pouch and left for the nearest weapons shop. She would return a half hour later with two chainmail shirts, and two iron swords for them both; Nora would never use a sword, just not her style.

The team decided to wait for Delphine to arrive with their invitations before visiting Radiant Raiment, as Nora claimed something in the back of her mind was nagging at her to do so. This nagging voice proved to be useful, for on the third day after arriving at Solitude, Delphine arrived at the horse stables with their invitations in tow.

"It's good to see you three made it to Solitude in one piece," Delphine whispered to them under her hooded cloak. She handed Jaune three envelopes that contained their invitations. "I've had it written that you and Pyrrha are an engaged couple from two Imperial families of Cyrodiil, Jaune, and that Nora is your loyal servant who tends to your needs. Remember to buy fitting clothes for the Embassy, and to never reveal your Thu'um power. Good luck." Delphine turned and walked off without a further word.

"We're…engaged?" Jaune questioned, shocked.

"Guess you two better start picking up the etiquette of nobles and act lovey-dovey around each other," Nora teased, puckering her lips in a kiss face, making Pyrrha blush bright red.

"Well, we might as well go to Radiant Raiment to get some noble robes fitted for ourselves," Pyrrha quickly piped out, hoping to change the subject. Jaune agreed and they quickly returned within the walls of the city and headed for Radiant Raiment. Inside, they were greeted by a pretty young High Elf named Endarie.

"Hello there, how may I help you?" she asked as they entered.

"Hello, we are looking to purchase some new clothes for the upcoming Thalmor Embassy," Jaune explained. "Our, um, servant will need some fancy clothes for someone of her status as well," he added, pointing to Nora.

"I suppose we can fit something around you three," she said, eying the three of them in their casual clothes up and down. "Coco, we got a party of three for you!" she called, her voice reaching into the back of the shop. Within a minute, a young brunette wearing a cocoa brown tunic with a dark brown corset encircling her waist, long, dark brown trousers that has ribbons tied on her left waist, and a pair of dark brown, high-heel leather boots with buckles.

Coco eyed the three Huntsmen up and down as well, her pupils moving up and down between them. "I suppose I can work with you three easily, especially you, blondy," Coco remarked. In Solitude, Coco Adel has a reputation for being able to sew or weave clothes for anyone; she has never met someone she could not make clothes for. "You three have the right amount of coin for this sort of job, right? Making two sets of noble clothes and a fancy servant's suit won't be easy, and it's time-consuming, especially with the Thalmor Embassy in three weeks."

Jaune handed the money pouch over to Coco, who spilled it out onto the counter, scattering Septims and jewels about. "You'll be about a hundred twenty-eight Septimes short, sadly."

"Wait, I can get the rest of the money within a week's time if you still fashion the clothes for us," Jaune quickly added. Coco thought it over for a moment.

"Three days, and if you fail to do that, then I'll hurt you in return." Coco gave him a devilish grin, but he agreed to it. Coco took about an hour taking their measurements and writing down their preferred colors (yellow and black for Jaune, red for Pyrrha, and pink and white for Nora).

After they finished at Radiant Raiment, Jaune went back to the inn to gather his sword, his dragonscale mail, a small pack of food, water, his map, his compass, and a torch stick, telling Pyrrha and Nora that he will set out to find maybe a cave containing a bandit's hideaway, some hidden treasure, or the hopes of being ambushed by bandits so he can rob them of their money. Nora stayed behind at the inn to occupy herself. Pyrrha, however, went to the Blue Palace to observe the nobles there, including Jarl Elisif the Fair, in the hopes of picking up etiquette for the Embassy. She observed the gentle and elegance of the nobles, but it was Elisif's right hand, an Imperial woman named Weiss Schnee that demonstrated the most elegant of noble etiquette, very similar of the Weiss Schnee of Remnant. She wore a fancy red light coat with gold studded buttons, ice white trousers with matching white high-heel boots. Her hands were encased in white gloves, and her snow white hair was tied back into a ponytail. She even had a scar running down her left eye as well, and a thin broadsword hung at her right hip. However, unlike the Weiss Pyrrha knew, this Weiss was kinder, more gentle, and would probably be willing to give Jaune a chance with her as well; not good for Pyrrha.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune wandered the area outside Solitude for half a day, and he found nothing that could yield coin to pay off Coco. He was really beginning to dread the thought of Coco beating him to a pulp as he headed northeast back towards Solitude as twilight stretched across the sky. However, it was when the the sun reflected in his eyes that he noticed the quiet little one-story cabin tucked away among some trees. Jaune headed for the cabin, his hand at his sword just in case. When he tried the door, he found it unlocked. "Hello, is anyone here? Your door was unlocked," he called as he entered. Inside, Jaune found a vault of various goods and valuables; food of all kinds, coins, books, fruits, vegetables, everything was in this little house. After a quick glance around, Jaune found himself staring face-to-face with a Breton wearing black clothes and a hood. The Breton instantly drew two knives and charged at Jaune, who already drew his sword. Both men clashed their blades, but Jaune dove aside to avoid the second knife, crashing into a bench and sending books to the floor. Jaune moved to his feet and stabbed forward, but the Breton sidestepped and jabbed forward.

"FUS RO!" Jaune shouted, sending the Breton stumbling backwards and knocking various items around. Jaune dove forward and drove his sword through the man's chest, spilling blood onto the floor. The Breton's knives fell and his arms latched onto Jaune as all feeling left his body, followed by his life. Jaune laid him carefully to the floor and wiped his sword on the man's clothes. He went about exploring the house, though it was just a large two-room house. Jaune figures that the man must have be a thief, what with the various items lying about. Jaune stored a number of foods into his pack, and filled up his pack's pockets with as many coins and jewels as he could, even stuffing his own pockets as well, and went exploring in the several chests around the house, finding nothing of importance or value.

Jaune was heading for the door to leave when his foot knocked against a small chest, probably knocked into his way from his shout. Jaune noticed that this chest was the only one that was locked; he broke it open with a nearby stone hammer and opened it up, but all that was inside was a globe object the color of smoke grey. Curious, he took it into his hand, and Jaune suddenly felt weak as a strange voice entered his mind:

_"And your hand touches the Beacon. Listen. Hear me and obey, Jaune Arc. A foul darkness has seeped into my temple. A darkness that you will destroy, my Champion."_

The voice faded away, Jaune felt his breath taxed as he clutched the Beacon in his hand. "That voice," he muttered to himself. "It felt…familiar to me somehow. Who was that that spoke?" Jaune wrapped the strange Beacon in a cloth and stored it into his pack, then he exited the house, breaking the lock after leaving, then he began the long trek back to Solitude.

In less than three weeks time, he will be infiltrating the Thalmor Embassy to gather information, all the while having to prevent the Thalmor from discovering his true powers and labeling him their greatest threat. Not only that, new dangers will arise, but with those dangers so shall rise a new power gifted by a higher being, as well as the key to unlocking secrets known to but a few.


	9. Murder at a Party

**A/N: I'm starting a new thing where I will give little sneak peeks into the next chapter. Hope you enjoy this new change.**

**Chapter 9: Murder at a Party**

The clear warm breeze of a spring's day blew through Ren when he finally entered the Falkreath region three days after leaving the Breezehome. He spent an entire afternoon searching for the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, himself remaining vigilant so he would not get jumped by bandits or creatures, but what he did not know was that he was actually being watched. A lone figure garbed in dark green ranger clothes was watching him. His skin was dark, and his eyes pure white, having no pupils. Fox has been blind since birth, but his sense of hearing and scent are exceptional, ranking high on a stat list should one make such a thing. Fox hid in a tree, himself masked by the swaying branches. He drew a bow from his back and nocked an arrow aiming for Ren nearly fifty yards away. Even without the use of his eyes, his ears pinpointed the source of Ren's footsteps from the crunching of the grass. Fox pulled back farther and held his breath, ready to fire.

"Fox, hold your arrow," said Maura beside him, making him freeze. He turned to his left where she appeared from thin air. "That is Lie Ren, one of the three who appeared alongside the Dragonborn."

"Maura, he is looking for the Sanctuary of the Dark Brotherhood. If he joins their ranks, he could become our enemy," Fox explained to her.

She shook her head. "He could never become our enemy. He is still loyal to Jaune Arc, so he is still our ally. Drop your arrow and return to headquarters, Fox." She placed her hand upon his left one, lowering his bow. Fox sighed and returned his arrow and bow to their place. "Wait until he's gone before you descend down the tree," Maura told him before vanishing into yellow wisps.

Ren eventually found the entrance to the Sanctuary tucked away into a small hill above an overpass. He approached the ominous door and placed his hand upon it. "What is the music of life?" hissed the door, surprising Ren for a moment. He swallowed hard, knowing this is his last chance to turn back. "Silence, my brother," Ren answered, and the door swung open and he entered.

After descending down a short stone staircase, Ren was greeted with Cinder leaning against a nearby wall, still dressed in her Dark Brotherhood clothes. "I knew you would come soon enough," she smirked. She went to a nearby table where a set of clothes similar to hers rested. She handed these to Ren. "Here, put these on. Hopefully I got your measurements correct back at the cabin." Ren changed into his new assassin's clothes, which fit rather well. Cinder lead him down another staircase to an open area where a number of Dark Brotherhood members were, either training their handiwork with their daggers, pouring over dusty tomes and bowls of potions and poisons, and enjoying meals. As Cinder and Ren passed by, the members looked upon the newest addition to the family. "For the next few weeks, I will be training you in the art of the assassin. When your training is finished, you will know how to kill both effectively and quickly, learn to hide among the shadows, use your surroundings to your advantage, and you will learn to become a shadow that your targets will fear."

"I'm wondering, how are the children at the Rifted orphanage?" Ren asked.

Cinder glanced at him and smiled. "They are happier now that you killed Grelod. I send an agent over there and all the children talk about is the mysterious Night Huntsman who saved them from the witch Grelod.

Cinder lead Ren into a small study room that contained a small bed, a bookcase full of books, a table housing a litter of potions and ingredients. "This shall be your room so long as you remain within the Brotherhood," Cinder explained. "I would advise you rest for the remainder of the day for tomorrow, your training begins. We will start off with simple weaponry, such as daggers and throwing weapons." Cinder gave him a wink and a smile before leaving him alone. Ren sat down upon the bed for a while, staring off into space. Deep down, while he knew that these people may be murderers and thieves, he knew that he could find redemption for the murders he committed in the past.

Ren laid himself down and stared up at the cavern ceiling. His mind drifted back to when he and Nora were growing up together after he murdered Derek Harsen and escaped together in the confusion. He shut his eyes trying to force the vision of himself murdering Derek with a rusty knife; Derek constantly shifted into Grelod and back. "He was abusing us," Ren told himself. "He beat each of us and did horrible things to the girls. I stopped his evil before he could do the same to Nora…" Ren pushed the thought away, but his mind then drifted to when he and Nora were about twelve years old, living on the streets begging for chump change and stealing from the vendors of small businesses. He could remember the day when a simple car stopped before the two and a bald man in a suit and sunglasses told them to get in, offering them some food, which was too good to pass up. Ren remembered how the two kids learned that the man who bribed them with the food was a member of the Ziltura gang, one of the largest crime organizations of Mistral. Ren and Nora soon found themselves living in a small apartment stocked with food and beds, and they were provided with an education from the gang's boss, who has done the same to other children off the streets, but he did it to use them as his numbers instead of out of the kindness of his heart. Ren chose to take up Nora's responsibilities in the gang to spare her having to get her hands dirty with blood.

"Were we better off refusing Hanz that day and sticking to the street?" Ren wondered for a moment. "No, we would've died like the other street kids then." Ren sat up and looked at his hand, imagining both Grelod's and Derek's blood mixed together in it. Ren let a hum and then retreated to bed for the night.

**–The Next Day–**

Training with Cinder was rather simple the next morning, thanks to Ren's previous training as a Huntsman. He quickly mastered the various assassin's gestures and fighting stances and moved onto his studies in the art, instructed by Cinder herself. "When you have a contract to perform, the only thing you need to accomplish is to kill your deader," she told him as she paced back and forth before his table, which had books strewn across it.

"Deader?"

"That is the name we give to our targets. When a person becomes a target, they are already dead, instead living on borrowed time until the assassin finishes him off. Now, while the deader is the most important, you must remember that there can be no witnesses to a kill. If it is unavoidable, then you must kill the witnesses else they identify you and make your escape more difficult." Ren nodded, absorbing Cinder's teachings like air. "Always remember, you are making corpses, not art. Go in for the kill, but do not be…artsy about it. Those who fight for style end up dead. If your enemy has an opening in your defenses, you have no excuse to pass it up and send him to Sovngarde." Ren nodded and glanced at a book detailing the lethal areas of a person's body to strike with a weapon. Cinder strolled over and took a glance at what he was reading. "You must always go for a lethal strike, so that your deader cannot survive your attack."

Later that day, Cinder instructed Ren in a number of poisons from simple ones that cause irritating itches, convulsions, excruciating pain before death (like the White Asp Snake poison Cinder used on him and Nora before), and instant death. However, she taught him how to mix poisons that can cause simple pains and minor diseases to trick physicians before resulting in death. She watched as he mixed a number of poisons together, and after a number of failures, he managed to produce a suitable poison that upon contact within the bloodstream will make the victim become dizzy before falling unconscious. "Perfect for distractions," Cinder told him.

Later that day, after several more successful poisons, Cinder instructed Ren in a number of useful tools the Brotherhood uses; grappling hooks, garrottes, flashbang pellets, chains, lockpicks, wax key makers (either for replicating keys or replacing with fakes), spyglasses, needles for poison, blowguns, potions, and much more. "You will learn to use all these tools in time, and soon, they will become a part of you…" Cinder told him as she took up a needle and focused her eye on its tiny point, then smiled at Ren. "…They will also become an extension of yourself."

For the next two weeks, Ren trained effortlessly under Cinder's tutelage, and by the end of two weeks, he felt like an assassin already. However, he learned during the second week that he would not truly be accepted within the Dark Brotherhood unless he were to complete his first contract and return. Since then, Ren has been preparing, both physically and mentally. Finally, the day came. When Ren awoke in his room, Cinder sitting at the small desk watching him.

"Finally, you're awake. While your training as an assassin has been rather smooth, you are not ready until you complete a contract, and I have chosen the perfect one for you," Cinder began, holding up a piece of parchment. "We have recently received a contract out for a Nordic noble named Fanlof Ulreldsen. It seems that he has angered a number of people, including a couple nobles, and one of them has put a good price upon his head. I personally met with this noble, Dan-Za Caleelus, and he says that Fanlof has angered him numerous times and Dan-Za has decided that he has had enough. And yes, Fanlof Ulreldsen has done a number of other things to earn a death wish," Cinder added before Ren had a moment to speak. "He often rents whores at his manor, he treats anyone not a noble below him, and there are rumors that his small business employs orphans to work without pay, and are treated cruelly." Cinder noticed Ren's hand curl into a fist. "_I knew that would spur him on_," she thought.

"What do I need to do to get to Fanlof?" Ren asked.

"Fanlof Ulreldsen is going to be hosting a large party at his manor for nobles in about a week's time," Cinder explained as she tossed him a map of Skyrim with a red circle on one of the small islands of Winterhold. "The circle is where his manor is, but to reach it, you would have to take a boat from the beaches, which Fanlof will have set up with guards and elegant boats for his guests. Fanlof had an entire island east of the College of Winterhold converted into his private home, complete with yards, walkways, and anything a noble's mind and wealth could desire."

"So will I be sneaking in as a noble?"

"I had thought about it, but getting an invitation so soon was too difficult, and on top of your training, there was no time to educate you on noble etiquette or the information of nobles attending. Instead, you will have to sneak in, but I have something special in mind for this." Cinder reached across the desk where two potion bottles sat and took hold of one full of a smoky liquid. "This potion will allow you to breathe underwater for a full minute without worry of drowning." She set it down and picked up another bottle, this one with a red liquid that seemed to have wisps swirling around in it. "This potion will maintain your body temperature even in the harshest of conditions."

"So I'm going to use both these potions to swim through the freezing waters to Fanlof's mansion," Ren guessed. Cinder nodded.

"You are quite observant. Both potions' effects will last for a full sixty seconds. After that, you're on your own. Should you freeze and drown, well, then we won't have to worry about you anymore." Cinder gave Ren a narrow glare and smile. "I have faith that you will succeed, Lie Ren, but don't be confident. Your mission is to infiltrate Fanlof Ulreldsen's mansion, locate him, and murder him, leaving behind a piece of parchment bearing the Brotherhood's insignia so that when he is found, it is known who killed him. You leave tomorrow, so prepare for the journey."

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ren perched himself on a cliff overlooking the east beaches of Winterhold, dressed in a plain black Dark Brotherhood uniform. Tucked into his belt were his two daggers, a couple healing and stamina potions, a few invisibility potions, and a couple poisons, one that would cause sudden unconsciousness and the other one deadly. Strapped to his left wrist was a foldable crossbow and on his other wrist a spring-loaded knife. On his left hip was a small quiver of crossbow bolts, and on his chest on a leather strap, safe and secure, were three potion bottles, one of water breathing and one of heat warming, and an empty bottle, which houses another heat warming potion that Ren drank earlier when he wandered into Winterhold's freezing weather. "Winter is definitely here," Ren mumbled, his teeth chattering.

Ren watched the beaches for a while as nobles and guards boarded large, secure boats and were pushed offshore, heading off towards Fanlof's manor. Ren headed down to the beach and tested the waters with his hand; he yanked it back with a shiver after it barely dipped in. After taking a few deep breaths, Ren uncorked the two potions and drank them down, coughing up wisps of red and a smoky color. He tossed the bottles to the sand as he mentally clocked the time left for the potions as he dove into the water. Ren was surprised to find his body completely warm, as if he was wrapped in clothes fresh from the dryer. He encased his hands and feet in Aura, allowing him to gain more distance with each stroke as he headed towards the mansion in the distance, concentrating on not swallowing any water in his mouth, even though he could breathe in it.

Ren was near the shoreline when he realized that he was ahead of the boats, and that the nobles and guards aboard would see him. "_32…33…34…_" Ren counted. He quickly dived underwater and circled around the island to the rear side, where with his Aura, Ren spotted a small port with a large elegant boat and three guards. "_46…47…48…_" Ren counted as he took a bolt and nocked it onto his crossbow. He made sure only the top half of his head broke the water's surface, where he spotted three guards on the port, one at one end and two together on the other. Ren treaded water as he slowly came closer. He crept under the port end with the two guards and pulled his sleeve back, revealing his crossbow. He knew he would have only a second to attack the two guards after firing. He held his breath and fired, the crossbow making a loud noise as the bolt soared across through the air and burrowed into the lone guard's neck, where he tumbled over into the icy waters. Ren was already at the port's edge, where he reached up and yanked the guards into the water by their ankles before they could run. They were already surprised by the strange sound followed by the cry of their friend who tumbled into the water, but their faces instantly turned into shock when they suddenly were pulled into the water. Ren lifted himself onto the port just as he counted off the last seconds of the potions; he did not have to worry about the guards, for their heavy armor dragged them down to a watery grave as they thrashed about for a while before going still.

Ren's body suddenly began shivering, for his clothes were soaking wet. He dashed for the back entrance of the mansion, and after creaking open the door to check for guards, he slipped inside. He went into an empty room, which he discovered to be an area for servants. He quickly stripped down, dried himself off with a couple stray shirts, then found a servant's outfit in his size. He quickly dressed in it, and then he poured the two poisons onto his daggers and hid them and the Dark Brotherhood parchment in his outfit. He dumped the rest of his gears into a small box and left it there. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a tray of wine glasses, which he quickly filled with Nord mead, balanced it on his hand and went out into the main rooms where the nobles were.

His disguise worked perfectly; some nobles took glasses from him and placed empty ones on his tray as he moved about, hoping to quickly locate Fanlof Ulreldsen and get him someplace alone. "Ah, Dan-Za Caleelus, so good to see you," said a voice among the crowd, making Ren freeze, allowing a noble woman to bump into him, though he did not drop the glass tray. She shot him a mean glare, but he was already moving towards the voice. He came upon a Breton noble speaking to Dan-Za Caleelus. Dan-Za was an Argonian, the lizard man race of Tamriel. His skin was a deep green and scaly, his eyes gold with black pupils. A long tail emerged from the back of his robes, forcing passing nobles to avoid stepping on him. Ren tapped Dan-Za on the shoulder and held up an open hand with his fingers spread wide, signifying the handprint of the Dark Brotherhood.

"I'm sorry, Mister Halfold, but I must be going," Dan-Za quickly told the Breton before leaving with Ren, where they went to a quiet spot of the room where they could be alone. "So the Brotherhood sent you?" he asked, to which Ren nodded. Dan-Za made a quick look around for guards. "Okay, Fanlof's quarters are on the east side of the mansion. I would recommend just waiting for him there; he'll probably abandon his guests soon and take some noble woman to bed there." Ren gave a silent nod as thanks and went towards the east side of the manor, taking care to make sure that no one, guards or nobles, saw him leave. Ren abandoned his drink tray and applied his Aura to his feet so every step he made was silent and to his ears to amplify his hearing. After a couple empty hallways, Ren figured that most of the guards are at the main areas where the nobles are. He did encounter a few patrolling the halls, but with his Aura, he was able to hear them a mile away, and he soon found Fanlof's quarters. Ren creaked open the door and slipped in, closing it quietly behind him. No one was there, so Ren slipped in under the bed, where he waited for Fanlof to eventually arrive. "_Gods, if Nora saw me hiding under here of all places, she would laugh herself silly,_" Ren thought, a smile spreading across his face as he imagined his bubbling friend laughing at his actions. Ren waited for what seemed like hours, and he nearly collapsed into sleep when he heard the door open. Two sets of feet appeared in Ren's vision, accompanied with two voices giggling at each other.

"Fanlof, you're so suave," said a female's voice.

"Ha! Well, I've been known to have a way with words, especially with pretty women such as yourself," said the other, a man this time. Fanlof Ulreldsen. Ren carefully drew the dagger with the deadly poison and readied himself. Fanlof and the woman embraced in a kiss, and the two straddled over to the bed, where they both fell onto it, pushing the mattress down onto Ren, who flattened himself to avoid pressing up against it. Ren waited a while longer as the two took their time on the bed, but then his opportunity came when the woman said, "Let me go change out of these clothes so you can see everything." She disappeared into the adjacent walk-in closet, and that's when Ren slid himself from under the bed. He leapt upon Fanlof, who was surprised to see the teen, but it was already too late. Fanlof did not even have a chance to cry out as Ren slapped a hand over his mouth and slid the dagger into his gut, allowing the poison to infect his bloodstream. Ren retrieved the blade and kept his hand on Fanlof for a moment longer before the man relaxed and closed his eyes forever. Ren wiped the dagger on the bedsheets and sheathed it, but he then heard a scream. He sprang up and saw the woman, completely naked, staring in horror at the bleeding body on the body. Ren was between her and the door, and her first thought was to get past him and alert the guards. But before she even had a moment to gather her thoughts, Ren was already on her with a dagger at her throat.

"You never saw me here," Ren warned her. "Fanlof Ulreldsen has angered a number of people, and a contract was put on his head, and now he is dead."

"Who…Who are you?" the woman stuttered.

Ren did not answer, instead cutting the dagger into the side of her arm. The woman instantly went limp, to which Ren caught her and carefully laid her onto the floor and covered her with a blanket. Ren did not kill her, instead using poison to make her fall unconscious. Ren left the parchment of the Dark Brotherhood on the bed and exited the room. He quickly returned to the party and resumed his façade as a servant. After about an hour, guards went to check on Fanlof in his quarters and alarms were raised immediately that a Dark Brotherhood assassin was inside the mansion. All the nobles broke into a panic and hurried out of the mansion, worried that whoever killed Fanlof would go after them as well. Ren merged among the nobles and went with them aboard the boats. To the nobles, Ren was just some servant boy who was escaping potential death with the nobles. Everyone boarded the boats and returned to the mainland, where they hurried to Winterhold, and then went their separate ways.

For Ren, however, he went straight to the inn and into its cellar, where a Dark Brotherhood contact was, disguised as a stock boy. This stock boy, a Nord, noticed Ren and held up an open hand, to which Ren did the same. "The contract is complete, and the deader is dead," Ren whispered to him. "I'd like to return to the Sanctuary and back to Falkreath, where it's warm." The stock boy agreed. He grabbed a couple warm coats and lead Ren outside to the nearby stables where a horse was tied to a stock. They both mounted it and rode off into the blizzard.

**–A Week Later–**

Ren and the contact went their separate at the city of Whiterun, for the contact had business elsewhere to the west. Ren expressed his thanks before the man ventured off. Ren returned to the Breezehome, which he found empty. He stayed there for a couple days to relax, as well as write a new note to the others letting them know that he is alright. It was good to cook up some nice stew and have some crispy apples that night, as well as sleep in a comfy bed again.

The next day, Ren went out to enjoy the city a little more. He met with Velvet Scarletina at the Temple of Kynareth, and learned a few new healing spells from her after a few hours of training on some wounded soldiers. He met with Blake again, where he took her out for a nice meal and chat a little. At the end of the day, he returned to the Breezehome, and come morning, Ren set out back to the Sanctuary, which took an entire day to reach on foot.

One morning, after he had been truly accepted as a member of the Dark Brotherhood, Cinder entered his room to awaken him. "Good news, we may be getting a new contract soon," she told him.

"A new contract? How do you know?" Ren asked as he stretched his limbs.

"There has been rumors circulating the Holds the last week or so that a few people, two Imperials and a Breton, had infiltrated the Thalmor Embassy and killed a number of guards. Some of the higher ups there speculated that the intruders were looking for some information, but either way, I suspect that some family or friends will be itching to see these three dead."

"Do we have any information on them?"

"A little. One of the Imperials had long red hair and emerald eyes, the Breton with teal eyes and orange hair, but the most interesting one is the blond Imperial with blue eyes. One Elven soldier claimed that the young man used the power of Dragon Shouts. I must say, that's quite incredible for one so young. I'll let you know if a contract ever comes in." Cinder gave him a smile and went to the door before coming back. "I almost forget, you did incredible with the contract on Fanlof Ulreldsen, though I am disappointed that his woman saw you."

Ren glanced down at his hands. "Are you disappointed that I didn't kill her?" he asked.

"Somewhat, but it was your first contract, so I will let it slide this once." Cinder bent down to his level and grinned, glaring at him with her ember eyes. She came forward and kissed his cheek, making Ren blush bright red. "There's your prize for a job well done," she mewed into his ear. She bushed his cheek with her finger, the nail tracing along it before she withdrew from him.

Cinder left, leaving Ren alone, worried for his friends. "I hope you guys are okay," he mumbled under his breath.

**Next Chapter: The Thalmor Embassy. It should have been an easy mission, but instead, JNP find themselves slow dancing among nobles, sharing some romance, and fighting Elven mages and soldiers in a manor full of people that want Jaune dead. And Jaune still has the Beacon of Meridia, and he still wonders how this mysterious Meridia know who he is.**


	10. The Thalmor Embassy

**Chapter 10: The Thalmor Embassy**

In the weeks that followed, Jaune, Pyrrha, and Nora prepared for their mission while staying at the Winking Skeever in Solitude. With the money he stole from the cabin, Coco went to work making their clothes for the Embassy. Pyrrha was outfitted with a beautiful red dress, Nora received a pink and white dress, though not as fancy as Pyrrha's. Jaune's was a brilliant black long coat with yellow longings made with linen and cotton material to appear more as a fancy blazer. She threw a white button down shirt on him and pulled the coat onto his shoulders. Coco shook her head and tore it off and replaced his shirt with an ash grey one, and gave him black slacks to go with it, and some fancy shoes. "There you go, looking stylish and ready to mingle," Coco told him when she was finished.

The team spent the remainder of the weeks practicing their etiquette for the Embassy, which often lead to the three laughing themselves silly at each other pretending to be snooty high-class nobles. They eventually learned some proper etiquette and prepared for the mission. On the last night before the Thalmor Embassy, the three Huntsmen went to bed early to get some extra sleep, but Jaune found himself unable to sleep; not only was the Embassy on his mind, but so was the globe he found in the cabin. Jaune got out of bed and went to his pack and fished the globe out. He stared at it for a moment, noting that it was still devoid of any color or light since the voice last spoke to him. He let out a sigh and placed it back where it was, then went to bed, soon dreaming of Weiss. He dreamed that she finally recognized him for who he was and the two danced together on a balcony as the stars twinkled in the night sky above.

**–The Next Day–**

Everyone awoke the next morning. Jaune stretched his limbs and smacked his lips. Pyrrha gave a good yawn and rubbed her eyes. Nora was the only one who was rearing to go, hopping out of bed with a "Good morning, Team JNPR!" The three of them went to the inn's bath and cleaned themselves (as usual, Jaune waited until the girls had come back before going himself) and dressed in their clothes for the party. After dressing and eating breakfast at the inn, they headed out of Solitude, where a carriage was waiting for them. An Imperial wearing robes manned the reins, and he motioned for the three teens to climb aboard. "Lord Arc, Mistress Nikos, and Lady Valkyrie," he muttered under his hood. Once they were seated, he gave the reins a flick and the two horses drudged on. They followed the road north where the ground shifted from green to snow white. Pyrrha pulled the warm cloak she brought around her tighter as she shivered. Jaune rested his hand on hers, to which she intertwined her fingers with his.

"Lovely day, isn't it, dear?" Jaune asked her, keeping up the visage of them being a couple. Pyrrha smiled at him.

"Yes, it is, though it is rather colder up here in Skyrim than back home," she answered, moving closer to him so she could lean against him. Nora stifled a smile and was tempted to tell them "Just kiss already!"

After about ten minutes, the carriage passed by a large temple that bore a gigantic statue of a cloaked woman with large angelic wings, her hands reaching up to the sky as if praying. Team JNP stared at the statue in awe. _"Return the beacon to my temple and vanquish the evil from it," _said the voice, this time inside Jaune's head. Jaune lurched forward in pain, his fingers curling around his head.

"Jaune, are you alright?!" Pyrrha yelled, her arms snaking around him. The driver forced the horses to a halt and whipped around to see what the problem was. Everyone watched as Jaune groaned for a moment before regaining himself. "Are you alright?" Pyrrha repeated.

"Yeah, I'm okay, I'm okay," he told her. "Continue, driver." The driver nodded and urged the horses forward. Jaune turned back and stared at the Statue of Meridia for a moment before returning face forward. Pyrrha kept her hand wrapped around his arm and watched him with concern.

They soon reached the Thalmor Embassy and the carriage entered the large double gates. Jaune took note that the entire complex was sealed with high fences. Nearby was a building with an Elven guard wearing standard Elven armor and an Elvish axe at his hip. Pyrrha tapped his hand and he followed her gaze to an Elven guard that was patrolling the perimeter. Another guard stood at the bottom of the staircase that lead inside, and a wizard stood at the main doors. Jaune disembarked first, then helped Pyrrha down with his hand extended, which she took, and Nora followed without help.

They walked up to the first guard, who stopped them to see their invitations. "Nora, will you hand him the invites?" Jaune ordered, to which Nora handed them over. The guard looked over the papers, stealing glances at the three, then allowed them to pass. They went inside, where Pyrrha hung up her cloak on a nearby coat hanger. Jaune took her hand in his and lead her into the reception room, where the party was already in full swing. The murmurs of chatting nobles filled the air, making it difficult to distinguish everyone apart.

"Lord Arc, it is a pleasure to meet you!" exclaimed Ambassador Elenwen, a tall Elvish woman, as she approached the three. She took his hand in hers, then moved to Pyrrha. "And this must be Pyrrha Nikos, your fiancée." Pyrrha blushed a little, but smiled and said hello anyway. "I must know, when is the wedding?"

"Um, well, we…uh…" Jaune began. Before he could say anything more, Malborn came over and diverted Elenwen away, allowing JNP to breath easy. "Well, shall we mingle with the nobles?" he asked his team. Nora grew a big smile on her face. "Nora, please behave," he quickly told her before she skipped off. Jaune took Pyrrha's hand and lead her around the reception room, where they partook in the foods of Skyrim that was laid out for them, including the sweet rolls, which they found delicious, and chatted with some of the nobles, who expressed excitement for the engaged couple. "They're really buying the disguise about us," Jaune eventually whispered to her after another noble congratulated them on their engagement.

"Well, let's be sure that no one discovers that it's a disguise," she hushed. From the counter, Malborn motioned his hand to attract Jaune's attention, to which Pyrrha sent him over to get her a drink. While there, Malborn handed him a bottle of brandy.

"Your gear is in the back, but I won't be able to get you to it with everyone watching everywhere," he whispered to Jaune.

"Thank you for the drink, Elf," Jaune said, keeping up the charade. "What should we do then?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

"Distract everyone, just do something." Malborn went off to a few shelves to avoid suspicion, and Jaune returned to Pyrrha, whom he handed the drink to.

"We need to make a distraction or Malborn can't sneak us into the back halls," he whispered to her, moving close to her cheek with his hand on her shoulder; to anyone else who saw them, it appeared as if Jaune was kissing her cheek.

"I think I know who can help us out," she told him. She went off to find Nora, but she came back empty-handed. "I…I think Nora disappeared somewhere," she told him, her voice full of worry.

"Oh great, where has she gone off to now?" Jaune wondered, his head turning everywhere, his eyes peeled for the hyperactive girl. His question was answered when the two spotted Nora atop the arms of Razelan, a Regard merchant. In her hand was a bottle of Nord mead, and her face was flushed and she was laughing, attracting the attention of a number of people. "Oh, Gods, what is she doing?" Jaune asked no one in particular. Razelan seemed to be drunk too, and Jaune and Pyrrha were betting he got the alcohol from Nora.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Nora called to everyone. "I would (hic) love to thank everyone for the lovely party here today, and (hic) I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for Jaune, my master, and Pyrrha, his girlfriend!" she yelled, waving in Jaune and Pyrrha's direction. "Give the lovebirds a hand!" Everyone began to applaud as Jaune and Pyrrha looked down at the floor, their faces pure red with embarrassment.

"Dance! Dance! Dance!" filled the air as the bard Malukah and her band of bards struck up a new chord fitting for a dance. By now, everyone was chanting for Jaune and Pyrrha to get out in the middle of the party and dance.

"Pyrrha," Jaune said, making her look up. He stood before her smiling, his hand outstretched for her. "Are you just going to stand there looking red like a rose, or are you going to dance with me?"

Pyrrha smiled and took his hand. "I would love to dance," she told him before he pulled her close. She let out a giggle as Jaune dragged her in the middle of the room and the two began a slow waltz as Malukah's harmonic voice filled the air, setting the mood for Jaune and Pyrrha. Pyrrha felt her entire body feel at ease as she danced with Jaune, their bodies swaying around the room to the beat of the bards' music. For Jaune, he was having a wonderful time. He was instantly reminded of his dream the previous night, but with Pyrrha instead of Weiss, and he was enjoying it more than the dream.

When the song ended, Jaune and Pyrrha came to a standstill as they stared into each other's eyes. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" cried Nora from one corner.

"Kiss! Kiss!"

"Kiss her!"

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

The same words kept echoing around the room, and Jaune and Pyrrha could feel the pressure of the words bearing down onto them. Jaune swallowed hard and turned to Pyrrha, his face pure red. She was blushing too, but she was also smiling. His hands brushed around her waist. "It's for our cover," he muttered to her. It is for their cover, he had said, but if it was, why was he finding it so hard to go forward with it? Why was he blushing like crazy? Why was he shaking all over? Was it because it is his first kiss with a girl other than his mother? Jaune's mind was telling him that it is just for their cover as an engaged couple, yet the warm feelings in his body screamed at him to move forward towards Pyrrha.

For Pyrrha, it was a completely different story. For her, she was secretly excited. Ever since she met Jaune in the locker rooms before initiation at Beacon, she has harbored a fondness for Jaune, but the friendship she formed with him soon blossomed into love. She knew that her feelings for him were genuine and not some schoolgirl crush, for Jaune always made her happy. He made her feel special by doing the exact opposite and treat her like any other person instead of the great Pyrrha Nikos that everyone knows and respects. Yet, even with all her accolades, her medals, her accomplishments, everything, she could never tell Jaune how she truly feels about him. Her hands reached up and rested onto his shoulders. "I love you, Jaune," she proclaimed, loud enough for the entire room to hear, sparking cries of "awww" from the nobles. She leaned forward, her lips pursing open for a kiss.

"I…I love you too, Pyrrha," Jaune told her now as he leaned forward as well. They were mere inches away from each other, but they stopped for a brief moment to stare at each other, as if they had second thoughts, but resumed their path. Their lips closed together in a loving kiss, their cheeks flushing red. The room erupted in applause as the couple continued their kiss for about a minute before breaking apart. They stared at each other, smiles upon their faces. Pyrrha felt tears rushing to her eyes, so she quickly planted her head against Jaune's chest, where he wrapped his arms around her and rocked her back and forth in his embrace.

Pyrrha's confession was genuine, but Jaune thought it was to continue their façade, so he said the same back. But for Jaune, the kiss he and Pyrrha shared felt…different to him. It felt nothing like a kiss between friends or even a fake kiss as part of a disguise. When his lips touched hers, he felt his entire body heat up as if he was standing in an oven. Jaune could not understand why he felt that way, but one thing he knew was that it felt incredible. For Pyrrha, her mind jumped for joy when she kissed Jaune, and she prayed to both the Gods of Remnant and Tamriel to allow her to forever be locked in that moment with Jaune. Her body shivered when his arms went around her and when she inched closer to him. And, best of all, she finally confessed her love for him, yet she knew that Jaune mistook it as honey words for their disguise.

Pyrrha gave her first kiss to Jaune, and he gave his first kiss to her.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

It was about ten minutes later when the opportunity to escape the party occurred. "Who wants to hear about the time I once slain a dozen Ursi?!" Nora called alongside Razelan, both of them now flat-out drunk.

"I'd LOVE to hear a story like that! Go on, love, tell the world of your brave tale!" yelled Razelan.

Everyone turned to listen as Nora spoke of how Ren and her fought these Ursi long ago, and all attention was turned away from Jaune and Pyrrha. Malborn beckoned them over from the counter and lead them to a small storage room in the back, where a chest sat. "The gear you wanted is in there. Come out when you're done and I'll lead you to the back halls," he explained before closing the door in on them. Jaune opened the chest and fished out his iron sword and dragonscale chainmail and handed Pyrrha her iron sword, chainmail, tunic, and boots. He turned away to allow her some privacy while she changed while he slid his chainmail on underneath his shirt. "Done yet?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm done," Pyrrha answered, allowing him to turn around. She was now dressed in a dark red tunic, pants, and boots with a sword tied around her waist. "I guess you'd rather stay in your dress clothes, huh?" He nodded in response. Jaune went over and knocked on the door twice, to which Malborn answered. He lead them out and through another door. "You're on your own from here on out," Malborn told them before locking the door. Now they were on their own.

They both slowly crept down the hall, keeping their ears open for any movement. Down the hall, thanks to the open ajar room, Jaune and Pyrrha caught the sound of two guards speaking to each other. "So, any idea why the Empire requested to have more mages sent to other cities?" said one of them. Jaune and Pyrrha crept closer while pressing themselves to the wall.

"From what I've heard, there's been talks and even sightings of…of dragons!" answered the other.

"What?! You've got to be kidding me! Dragons?!" argued the first guard.

"It's true! Get this, I hear the dragons are being resurrected from the dead!"

"The dead? Gods, what sort of stories have you been hearing in the taverns?" The sound of something scrapping against the floor was heard, probably a chair being pulled out that one of them is now sitting in.

"It's true! Not only that, I've been hearing rumors that there's some young fellow who has mastered those Dragon Shout powers!" Jaune and Pyrrha swallowed hard, Jaune himself was beginning to sweat.

"A bunch of horseshit, I tell you. No man can master those shouts."

Some scuffling was then heard; someone was walking around in the room. "It's true! The rumors say this person was young, practically an adult, and he had blond hair, blue eyes, and he carried a black blade with him! I heard he slayed a dragon near Whiterun too and that he…absorbed its soul!"

"Ha! First these rumors of dragons, now you're telling me someone is absorbing their souls? I think you've lost your head in those silly Nordic fairy tales."

Jaune had had enough. "I'll take out the one sitting down, but let's just knock them out," he told Pyrrha. She nodded and they both moved to the open door. Jaune held up one finger, two, three, then motion his pointer finger forward and the two dashed in, catching the guards by surprise. Jaune tackled the guard in the chain down to the floor hit him upside the head with a wooden bowl while Pyrrha performed a roundhouse kick on the other, stunning him long enough to slam her hand into the back of his head, knocking him out instantly. Jaune jumped to his feet, his breath running ragged. He then went down onto his guard and began stripping off his clothes while Pyrrha went to investigate some of dressers, where she found some guard uniforms and boots. "Jaune, I found some–" she began, turning back to see him stripping off the guard's clothes. He was in the middle of holding the guard's robes up onto his body level before Pyrrha caught his attention. "Jaune, I think we can leave them wearing their own clothes for this mission," she told him, trying to stifle a giggle. Jaune gave an awkward smile and took one of the uniforms and changed it out with his dress coat before trying on the boots; a little big, but they will have to do. Pyrrha's new uniform and boots fit her rather well herself; she untied her ponytail to let her hair loose to hide her ears.

"Jaune, you remember what those guards said, correct? It seems that the Thalmor aren't behind the Dragons' appearance after all, but there are rumors floating around about you," Pyrrha told him.

Jaune was silent for a moment, thinking it over. "Well, let's just make sure the Thalmor only know me as a rumor," he answered as he headed for the door, raising his hood up to hide his own ears. Pyrrha followed after him, where they straightened themselves out and walked down the halls as if they were meant to be there. They strolled through the halls, passing by a few guards who nodded in their direction, mistaking them for guards. "While we know that the Thalmor have no clear understanding of the dragons' resurrection, we should investigate to look for any more information," Jaune whispered to Pyrrha.

"We should try looking in Elenwen's quarters and search for any papers," she suggested, to which Jaune flipped her a thumbs up. They soon came upon a wandering guard with a mead bottle in his hand. _"Getting drunk on the job, ugh!" _Jaune thought to himself as he approached the guard. "Excuse me, where is Lady Elenwen's quarters? She's forgotten one of her precious pendants, and she sent me to retrieve it; it's absolutely vital for the party."

Had the guard not been drinking, he would have found Jaune's question rather odd, as well as the fact he would not have recognized Jaune as a Thalmor, but since the Thalmor employ some soldiers of the Imperial Empire, that could be understandable. "See, just head out that way to the rear courtyard and Elenwen's Solar will be right there for ye'." Jaune quickly said thanks and returned to Pyrrha just as the guard began stumbling down the hallway. They both headed out the door the guard mentioned and was instantly stabbed with the freezing wind. They both pulled their uniforms' coats closer to their bodies, but they made sure to keep their hands on their swords as well. They both moved out into the courtyard, where they spotted the Solar, which had an Elven guard attached to it. Jaune could see a sword at its belt, but no shield or anything else. "That guard probably uses magic combined with his sword," Jaune warned Pyrrha, who nodded. They moved out into the open and headed for the Solar, where the guard stopped them.

"Halt, Elenwen's Solar lies beyond this point. State your name and business," the Elf stated in a monotone.

"Jaune Arc, and I'm here to grab a pendent that Lady Elenwen left in her office," Jaune explained.

"What? Why would Lady Elenwen send a mere guard to retrieve some necklace?" he questioned.

"Oh! Um…well…" Jaune started as he rubbed his wrist. "Negotiations over!" Pyrrha told the guard before plunging her sword into his gut, making him fall over dead. "Geez, Pyrrha, you didn't have to kill him!"

"I'm sorry!" she told him, sheathing her sword while looking ashamed. Jaune let out a sigh. "Nah, it's fine," he told her, patting her shoulder. "Hey, I know, when we finish this mission, we'll have ourselves a big meal at the inn to celebrate, okay?"

Pyrrha gave him a small smile. "Yes, that sounds wonderful." They both approached the Solar's door and Jaune had just opened it when they heard a crunching sound behind them. They spun around, weapons in hand, and saw a young man bearing a trident in his hand. He had light blue hair stylized in an undercut, dark blue eyes, and he was wearing grey pants, a red jacket, black boots, and black fingerless gloves. Upon his forehead was a pair of yellow-tinted goggles. Underneath his jacket was a white tunic and a chainmail shirt. He looked at the Arkos pair and twirled his trident around to show off. "You two have a lot of guts to infiltrate into the Embassy," he remarked, though Jaune and Pyrrha were unsure if it was a compliment or not.

"Neptune Vasilias, we meet again," Jaune purred, his hand tightening around his sword. Jaune has secretly been wanting to smack Neptune upside his "stupid Mistral head," as Jaune would put it, ever since he stole Weiss from him.

"Um, we've never met before," Neptune commented with a raised eyebrow. His gaze caught Pyrrha, and he gave her a wink. "However, I would most certainly like to meet you, Goddess." Pyrrha went red in the cheeks; no one has ever revered to her as a goddess before. "Now, I want to know who you are and why have you snuck into here? What are you after, and who are you looking for?"

"How about we answer none of those questions and I just beat the crap out of you?" Jaune smirked, a ball of crackling lightning manifesting in his left hand. Jaune let loose a bolt of lightning, only for Neptune to duck under it. Jaune and Pyrrha spread out and flanked Neptune, who looked at them both with a mere grin. Jaune dashed forward and swung his blade downward, which Neptune caught in his trident's blades and kicked the boy away, sending him into the snow. Pyrrha rushed forward as Neptune stabbed his trident towards her chest, but she waved it aside with her polarity and swung a horizontal strike at Neptune, who ducked under it. Neptune swung his trident around and struck Pyrrha in the chin with staff's end, making her stumble.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune cried out, rushing forward with a bolt of lightning leading, shocking Neptune's entire body briefly. Jaune ran his sword forward for Neptune, but the Breton merely sidestepped it and kicked Jaune square in the stomach, making the teen groan. Neptune kicked him again, this time in the face, making Jaune fall backwards onto his back.

"You're pathetic for an Imperial," Neptune mumbled as he raised his trident high, ready to impale Jaune. But before the three-pronged staff could come down, Neptune suddenly cried out in pain, for a ball of fire struck his back, igniting his jacket on fire, to which he extinguished by rolling around in the snow. Jaune looked over to Pyrrha, where a sparks of fire danced on her fingers. She threw another fireball at Neptune, who dodged it, just as Jaune recovered to his feet. Jaune ran forward with his sword leading him. Neptune and him clashed blades against each other a few times, each trying to gain the upper hand. Pyrrha flanked Neptune and came at him from behind, but he quickly stabbed his staff into her stomach and swung it into her chin again, making her fall over into the snow, where she laid still.

"How dare you!" Jaune hissed. Neptune smirked and lunged forward, where Jaune barely dodged the three blades in time. Jaune leapt back a few steps and ran to the fallen guard at the Solar, where he wretched the sword from his hip, giving him two swords to wield. The two warriors circled each other, their eyes glaring for one another. Neptune lashed forward with a stab, which Jaune ducked under and ran forward with his own blades. Neptune twirled around his trident's staff to avoid the double stab. Jaune screeched to a halt and raised one sword up to block Neptune's trident before it could come down onto his head. Jaune swung his second sword at Neptune's side, but Neptune quickly drove his foot into Jaune's chest, making him drop the Elvish sword, allowing Neptune to pick it up. Jaune jumped to his feet, his sword raised forward. Neptune charged at him with a yell, clashing swords with Jaune, making the blond backpedal into the wall of the main building. Neptune laid the pressure on, leaving Jaune to do nothing but block. Neptune raised the sword high and brought it down onto Jaune's blade so hard it was torn from his hand, allowing Neptune to drive his trident into Jaune's chest. Jaune let out a raspy moan, his eyes shifting down to the three-pronged blade sticking into him. Neptune saw him relax and retrieved his trident, where Jaune collapsed against the wall and closed his eyes with an exhale.

"JAUNE!" Pyrrha screamed from across the courtyard. She had just come to when she saw Jaune fall. Tears formed in her eyes and she clutched her teeth together, a low growl humming from her. She took up her sword and charged at Neptune with a battlecry, firing off a stream of fire at him, waving the stream in his direction everywhere he moved. Neptune avoided the fire and slipped in close to Pyrrha, where they clashed with steel. Pyrrha was ferocious, striking his sides with her blade and narrowly making contact with his body, but Neptune suddenly blocked a sideways strike with his trident staff, then bashed her face with the blunt side of his trident, knocking her down. Pyrrha's nose was bleeding, and her vision distorted from the facial strike. She reached out for her sword, but Neptune stomped his boot onto her arm, making Pyrrha cry out. He thrusted his trident down for her heart, but Pyrrha's free hand shot up in front, and her polarity forced his trident back. He fought to drive the blade down onto her while she fought to keep the weapon away.

"ZUN!" rang a voice, and Neptune's trident was instantly torn from his hands and fell into the snow. He spun around and Jaune was standing a short distance away, his sword in hand.

"How are you alive?! And what was that power?!" Neptune demanded.

Jaune smirked as he raised his shirt, revealing the rivets of dragon scales on his body. "As for that power I did, it was mine, and mine alone. WULD!" and Jaune appeared before Neptune in an instant. Jaune socked Neptune in his face before he had a moment to react. "FUS RO DAH!" Jaune shouted, throwing Neptune backwards into the fence that surrounded the complex, where he went still, unconscious, but alive.

Jane carefully helped Pyrrha up, and he applied a healing spell to her nose, which quickly, though painfully mended her nose, then to her arm, healing it of the pain that was still ringing in it. "Are you alright?" he asked her, only for her to embrace him.

"I thought…I thought he killed you," she sobbed. Jaune accepted her embrace, rocking her back and forth.

"I'm okay. I'm okay," he whispered to her. He took a glance over at Neptune. "What should we do to Neptune?"

"We better kill him. He may not have recognized your Thu'um powers, but he'll relay it to his superiors, who will know that you're a Dragonborn," Pyrrha warned him. She drew a dagger and took a step towards the fallen teen, but Jaune held her back.

"No. He may be our enemy, but we can't just kill him," Jaune told her.

"Jaune, if the Thalmor know who you are, they won't rest until they've killed you."

"Pyrrha, we can't just keep killing everyone we come across." Jaune pulled her close to him and lowered his head. "Yes, I understand the dangers, but it's just…I don't think we should kill people unless we have to." Pyrrha looked at him with sadness before sheathing her knife.

"Alright, let's keep going then," she told him before dragging him to the Solar, which they entered.

Inside, they snuck around a couple guards in a hallway, but upon coming to another couple who were discussing something in a private room, Jaune had Pyrrha stop so they could listen. "So, any news about that old man that the top brass is looking for?" said one guard.

"No, nothing, but we do know he's hiding somewhere in the Rift, perhaps Riften itself," answered the other.

"Why are we even searching for some old fool anyway?"

"From what I hear, he's supposed to be one of those Blades from long ago?"

"Fah! Those disgraced protectors of the Empire? Now we're just wasting our time when we should be focusing on the rebels."

Jaune heard enough; he motioned Pyrrha forward and they continued on. They tiptoed down a couple hallways until they heard footsteps in the distance, forcing them to retreat into an office. Inside, they carefully closed the door without making a sound as they listened for the footsteps to pass, breathing sighs of relief upon so. "Um, who are you two?" said a voice, making them spin around. A High Elf noble was sitting at a desk staring at the two Huntsmen. Pyrrha's answer was throwing a nearby canister into his head, knocking him unconscious. Jaune gave her a high five and they left the office, continuing down the halls, choosing to avoid as many guards as possible.

Eventually, the two found Elenwen's bedroom, which was beautifully decorated to accommodate someone of her stature: a four-poster bed, a couple end tables, a wardrobe full of lovely regal clothes, a wash basin, and a bookcase stuffed with books. Jaune browsed through the various titles, wishing he had his pack so he could take some with him, while Pyrrha investigated the wardrobe and pulling out a lovely red dress. "What do you think, Jaune?" she asked him, holding the dress up to her level.

"I think it would look nice on you, Pyrrha," he smiled. He went over to the end tables and sifted through the various items inside them and found a key with "DUNGEON" written on it. "Pyrrha, there's a key for some kind of dungeon here." She went over and inspected the key.

"Perhaps it could be here in the Solar somewhere," she suggested.

"It could be our ticket out of here, because there's no way we can just wander back to the party and claim we were making out somewhere or whatever," he mumbled, sticking the key into his pocket. He did not notice that Pyrrha's cheeks were red when he made that explanation. They searched around to find any documents about that suspected old man, and Jaune found it hidden in between two books on the bookcase. He read the dossier aloud to Pyrrha:

"Status: Fugitive (Capture Only), Highest Priority, Emissary Level Approval

"Description: Male, Nord, late 70s

"Background: Esbern was one of the Blades lore masters prior to the First War Against the Empire. He was not a field agent, but is now believed to have been behind some of the most damaging operations carried out by the Blades during the pre-war years, including the Falinesti Incident and the breach of the Blue River Prison. His file had remained dormant for many years, an inexcusable error on the part of my predecessor (who has been recalled to Alinor for punishment and reeducation), in the erroneous belief that he was unlikely to pose a threat due to his advanced age and lack of field experience. A salutary reminder to all operational levels that no Blades agent should be considered low priority for any reason. All are to be found and justice exacted upon them.

"Operational Notes: As we are still in the dark as to the cause and meaning of the return of the dragons, I have made capturing Esbern our top priority, as he is known to be one of the experts in the dragon lore of the Blades. Regrettably, we have yet to match their expertise on the subject of dragons, which was derived from their Akaviri origins and is still far superior to our own (which remains largely theoretical). The archives of Cloud Ruler Temple, which is believed to have been the primary repository of the oldest Blades lore, were largely destroyed during the siege, and although great effort has been made to reconstruct what was lost, it now appears that most of the records related to dragons were either removed or destroyed prior to our attack. Thus Esbern remains our best opportunity to learn how and why the dragons have returned. It cannot be ruled out that the Blades themselves are somehow connected to the dragons' return.

"We have recently obtained solid information that Esbern is still alive and hiding somewhere in Riften. Interrogation of a possible eyewitness is on-going. We must proceed carefully to avoid Esbern becoming alerted to his danger. If he is indeed in Riften, he must not be given an opportunity to flee.

"Pyrrha, the Thalmor are after this guy so they could try to understand more about the dragons, so they're definitely in the dark as much as we are."

"They know he's somewhere in Riften, which means we will have to return to Delphine as soon as possible," Pyrrha concluded.

"I feel like we should head straight to Riften while we can, find Esbern, and bring him back to Delphine before the Thalmor have a chance to find him."

Pyrrha nodded. "Alright, if you feel that's best, then I'll follow your lead." They searched around a little more, in which Pyrrha found a note addressing the rumors circulating Skyrim about a supposed Dragonborn, of which she burned immediately, they filled their pockets with jewels, then they exited and located the dungeon, which they entered with the key they gathered.

They slowly made their way across the balcony overlooking the dungeon and down a small flight of stairs, and the two could hear screaming from down below, to which Jaune quickened his pace. "Now, tell us what you know," said a voice. Jaune drew his sword.

"I told you, I know nothing!" cried a weakened man.

"I grow tired of these lies. Kill him." There was the sound of steel being drawn, a stabbing, and the grunt of the tortured, then silence. Jaune turned to Pyrrha, who nodded and readied two fireballs. They both ran out into the open, surprising the guard and wizard there. Pyrrha threw her fireballs at the wizard, who fell to the floor screaming in agony while Jaune stabbed the guard dead. After finishing up, they inspected the room and found a trapdoor under a pile of corpses, of which neither were thrilled to have to move around. They were about to enter the trapdoor where a voice called to them. "Halt, or your friends are dead!"

Jaune and Pyrrha spun around to see a Thalmor archer pointing a nocked arrow at them while another had Nora and Malborn in his arms. Jaune's sword was already in his hand and the archer poised his arrow at the teen. "One wrong move and your friends will die."

Jaune looked at Pyrrha, who looked back at him. "Shout them," she mouthed. Jaune turned back at the Thalmor and their companions. "FUS RO DAH!" Jaune shouted, throwing the two Thalmor back, as well as Malborn and Nora, though the latter two were unharmed. Pyrrha leapt up onto the balcony and killed both Thalmor.

Malborn gave a nod to Pyrrha as a sort of thanks before running off, hoping to head back to the party and resume his disguise. Nora went with Jaune and Pyrrha into the trapdoor, where they found themselves in the small Reeking Cave. The three Huntsmen made their way through the cave and returned to Solitude, where they patched up their wounds (of which Jaune suffered little, especially in his chest from the trident, thanks to his dragonscale chainmail) rejoiced for the day, having themselves a large meal and enjoying some Nordic ale (except for Nora, who Jaune ensured did not taste a drop of alcohol). Before they went to bed for the night, Pyrrha pulled Jaune away. "Hey, Jaune, I must say, you were really incredible today," she complimented him.

"Thanks, Pyrrha," he told her, giving her a smile. She pulled herself close to him in a hug.

"Just promise me next time you intend to do something so foolish and risky, you'll tell me first, okay? When I saw Neptune stab you, I was afraid you were really dead." Jaune noticed that Pyrrha was beginning to cry. He wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry, I really am. I didn't meant to worry you like that, really. Come on, how about we both ourselves a drink before bed, just to celebrate a mission's success?"

Pyrrha gave him a smile. "That sounds nice," she smirked, taking his hand and leading them to their room, where Nora was fast asleep. They both poured mugs of ale and clinked their mugs together. "By the way, thanks for the lovely dance today, Jaune. I take it your sisters taught you how to slow dance?"

"Yeah, they would always say I should know how to slow dance for when I meet a pretty girl one day," Jaune admitted. He went on to talk about all the things his seven sisters taught him growing up, from garden, sewing, cleaning, and all sorts of useful abilities. The two eventually finished their drinks and went to bed; Jaune stayed awake, just unable to sleep due to the alcohol. Pyrrha herself fell fast asleep with dreams of her and Jaune dancing and kissing one another.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Earlier that day, long after JNP's mission was over, Neptune recovered and was put before Elenwen and a high-ranked officer of the Thalmor Empire. "Neptune Vasilias, you failed to apprehend and kill the intruders who infiltrated the Embassy," Elenwen told him, her voice full of disappointment. "My superiors have decided that you should be stripped of your rank and that you will no longer be a member of the Thalmor Empire. Be thankful that you will not be sent back to High Rock."

"Lady Elenwen, there was something odd about one of the intruders! He has the ability to perform the Dragon Shouts!" Neptune quickly spat out before he could be taken away by a guard. Elenwen held up a hand to make the guard freeze.

"Are you serious?" asked the Thalmor Officer. "There are none who can use the Shouts other than the Greybeards or Ulfric Stormcloak, and it's impossible that this intruder, who was reported to appear that of a young man, could know one Shout, let alone many."

"It's true, I swear! He yelled out some word that made me drop my weapon, then another that made him appear before me and a set of three words that threw me against a wall, making me black out! He had blue eyes, blond hair, and he was wearing some kind of chainmail that looked like it was made of black scales."

Elenwen looked over at her officer, who stood silent, staring at Neptune sternly. "Thank you for sharing this information with us, but it changes nothing. Guard, take Neptune Vasilias away and expel him from the Embassy. Neptune, you will never serve among the Thalmor ever again."

Neptune was escorted out, and when they were alone, Elenwen turned to her officer. "Do you believe his words, sir? If Neptune was telling the truth, then that means that there is a Dragonborn wandering around Skyrim right now! But it doesn't make sense, why would the Dragonborn be infiltrating our parties?"

The Officer broke his gaze to look at Elenwen. "We are searching for Esbern, who is a member of the Blades, so I suspect that this Dragonborn may be working with the remnants of the Blades. I have also received word that the intruders received assistance from a High Elf named Malborn who was undercover at the party today."

"If he has infiltrated us, then he must've discovered our plans to locate Esbern; I want a squad of Thalmor soldiers and mages to be sent to Riften when possible, but I want them to act when the Dragonborn has discovered Esbern, that way we can capture them both at the same time. And send a report to our ranks and other Thalmor agents to be on the lookout for this Dragonborn with orders to capture him and bring him before me to face trail for his crimes against us; if they cannot, then make it clear that bringing him dead will suffice. I want no word of us to reach the Empire or the Stormcloaks; I suspect that this Dragonborn may be trying to put a stop to our plans. And assign Shavari to track down and kill him as well." The Officer nodded and trotted off.

Elenwen later returned to her chambers frustrated. "How can there be a Dragonborn? We knew one would be born as an Imperial in Cyrodil, the seer told us that, but how could the child have escaped our hunt?" she asked herself. Elenwen took deep breaths to calm herself, then went to bed for the remainder of the day.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Neptune was sent out later that day with nothing but his trident and a small pack on his back, where he wandered over to Solitude in a depressing slump. He eventually found himself wandering the ports, despite his fear of water, and he soon came upon a large ship with "Sea Monkeys" written on the side as its name. "Well, what do we have here, lads?" called a voice from aboard the ship. Neptune looked up to see a young man with red hair wearing a pirate-styled jacket. "Captain Scarlet at your service. What brings you here, lad?"

Neptune came over to the ladder that lead to the ship's hull. Several men appeared on the side of the side, staring at Neptune. One was a blond young man in an open shirt that showed his six pack, another with green hair and dark skin. "Captain Scarlet, I think we have ourselves a new crew member," said the blond, Sun.

"That so? Well, lad, would you like to join my crew of lads and go on adventures?" Scarlet asked Neptune. Neptune grinned and did not hesitate to climb aboard. "Alright, lads, we have ourselves a new member of our crew!" Scarlet called, where the rest of his crew let out energetic yells. "Welcome aboard…"

"Neptune."

"…Neptune!" The crew gave energetic yells again. Neptune may have lost his standing with the Thalmor, but now he has new friends and a new adventure set out for him. "I think I'm going to like this new life," Neptune muttered to himself as he stared out at Solitude aboard the ship.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

That night, Jaune was still awake even an hour after Pyrrha and him went to bed. He was just beginning to fall asleep when a light emerged from his pack. He rushed over to see what it was and he found it to be the beacon he found. _"Return the beacon to my temple and eradicate the evil from within," _said the same voice.

"What are you? I want an answer this time," Jaune quietly demanded the voice.

_"I am Meridia, the Daedric Prince of Life, the Lady of Infinite Energies. My temple is currently infested with the undead, and I call upon you, Jaune Arc, to enter my temple, vanquish the undead within it, and restore my beacon upon my statue," _Meridia stated.

"What? Why me?"

_"You were fated to become my champion since you were a baby, Jaune Arc."_

"What? Since I was a baby? What are you talking about, Meridia?" Jane tapped the beacon, hopping to receive a quicker response.

_"I cannot, for my power is waning. Return the beacon to my temple and erase the evil within, and I will tell you more." _The voice faded away, and Jaune had to force himself not to yell for fear of waking his friends.

Jaune was hesitant as to what to do. He thought it over real hard, but in the end, his mind was too curious as to why this Daedric Prince would choose him, and how is it he was chosen to be her champion since he was a baby. Jaune dressed in a clean tunic, slipped on his dragonscale mail, his steel armor, and wrung not his own ebony sword, but Pyrrha's spearsword to his hips and gathered a pack with the beacon, and some food and water as well. He knew where the temple was, so he would not need a map. Jaune was tempted to wake Pyrrha and Nora, but after everything that has happened that day, and that he never told them about the beacon. He stopped only to whisper a faint good bye to the sleeping Pyrrha and Nora, promising to return by morning, then headed off towards Meridia's Temple with the full moon illuminating his path.

**Next Chapter: The Truth about the Dragonborn**

**Jaune heads off to Meridia's Temple to return her beacon and become her champion, but his true goal is to discover how Meridia knows about him, but he will learn that there is more than just Draugrs and skeletons within her temple. Wraiths and horrifying undead infest the temple, and Jaune may not be strong enough to survive, let alone return to Pyrrha and Nora before morning.**


	11. The Truth about the Dragonborn

A/N: The Dawnbreaker now looks exactly like the Dawnbreaker Redone mod by Billyro, as I've never felt satisfied with the vanilla Dawnbreaker, which did not look pleasing to the eye.

**Chapter 11: The Truth about the Dragonborn**

Jaune trekked across the wilds towards Kilkreath Ruins, where Meridia's Temple is located, guided by the faint voice of Meridia from the beacon. She lead Jaune to the temple doors, which she unlocked with her power. At that moment, a beam of light shot down from the sky and refracted off a series of obelisks bearing gems in front of the temple and into the temple's entrance, casting a long beam inside. _"Guide this light to the doors to the Kilkreath Catacombs, where an ancient evil king has taken rest within my temple," _Meridia told Jaune through the beacon. _"Be warned, Jaune Arc, for this evil king has been raising the spirits of fallen soldiers of the Civil War to turn into undead shades. You will need of a weapon made of silver or holy steel to kill them."_

"Then how am I supposed to kill them?" Jaune asked the beacon as he ventured inside, his ebony sword in his right hand.

_"That sword Andril gave you has silver tempered into its steel. He knew you would one day come to me again…"_

"'Again?' We've met each other before?"

_"There is no time. My powers are waning with each passing minute…Kill the evil king and return the beacon to my temple, and I will tell you everything…" _Jaune wasted no time in moving his way through the temple, taking out the Draugr and the corrupted shades that dwelled inside. Jaune ventured deeper into the temple, all while fighting the undead and activating the gem obelisks scattered throughout the temple. Within a couple hours, Jaune found the double doors leading to the ruins, with a large hole in the center, and the beam of light he has been directing throughout the temple was shooting into it. As Jaune approached the doors, they glowed with a bright light the color of the light beam and they vanished into thin air, allowing him to proceed.

Down deeper in the ruins, Jaune came across a large open area with several stone pillars keeping the ceiling up. Feeling cautious, he drew both his swords before moving forward, and that's when the wraith and four shades appeared. The wraith appeared in the form of a hovering spirit adorned with tattered black robes with a hood raised over its face. Thin skeletal hands twitched and cracked at its side as it eyed Jaune below it, then the creature gave a terrifying shriek and swooped down upon Jaune, where it was already upon him before he could raise either of his swords. The wraith gripped Jaune's shoulders with its cold, dead hands and drew close to his face, where Jaune could see under its hood; a skull with deep black eye sockets glared back at him, but there was a faint white glow within them, though they were neither inviting or comforting. The wraith's boney mouth drew open and a piercing scream escaped it, freezing Jaune to the spot as he slammed his eyes shut, hoping to block out the unearthly scream that seemed to be draining his life.

"FUS RO DAH!" he managed to shout, sending the wraith flying through the air and slamming against a stone wall, allowing Jaune time to recover as the four shades descended upon him. One swung an axe at him, which he blocked with his spearsword before slicing his ebony sword at its neck, sending it down to the floor dead before it disintegrated into ash. Jaune ducked under the sword of another shade before driving his sword through it, killing it as well. Another shade threw itself onto Jaune's back and held onto his arms, keeping him from attacking as the last shade raised its mace to attack. "WULD NAH!" Jaune shouted, suddenly being thrown a distance from the shade, and the one on his back was torn from him and flung to the floor. Jaune spun around with his swords ready as the shades converged on him again. He deflected the shade with the mace and killed it, while using his spearsword to block with the last one before spinning around and slicing its head clean off.

The wraith, having now recovered from the Dragon Shout attack, let out its bloodcurdling scream, forcing Jaune to cover his ears, but it did little to help him. The undead spirit descended down onto Jaune, ready to siphon the life out of him, but as it drew near, Jaune leapt at it and drove his ebony sword through where its heart would have been. The wraith let out a shriek as its body writhed about before the light in its eyes disappeared; it fell to the floor and slowly crumbled into ash, leaving behind its tattered cloak. Jaune took a moment to catch his breath before continuing onward, making sure to kill all the undead that he came across in the temple as well as guiding the beam of light with the gem obelisks, and he soon found himself in the catacombs, the deepest level of the temple.

Down in the catacombs, the air grew colder than ever, making Jaune shiver, but he trudged on, his desire for answers from Meridia driving him. He made his way down a long hall, but was not met with any ghosts, Draugr, or anything, and that only put him on the defensive. He soon came into a large and open chamber with one last gem obelisk standing a distance from the opening, which Jaune activated, reflecting the light beam down another hallway and allowing two double doors to open on their own. Jaune followed after the light and came into another open chamber, one that had a large raised platform in it. On this platform were the deceased corpses of soldiers and in the center was a weary and ancient throne, where a corpse sat, dressed in ancient yet elegant armor and bearing a rusty crown upon its head, which was tilted down towards the ground. Behind it was a raised pedestal where the beam of light ended upon, but nothing was there. Jaune swallowed hard and drew his ebony sword as he approached the throne.

As soon as Jaune stepped onto the platform, the corpse on the throne stirred and lifted its head, glaring at Jaune with sunken, empty eyes that glowed with a pale light. The corpse rose from its seat and took up an ancient sword and shield from its sides and approached Jaune, who stepped back, dropping his pack and drawing his spearsword. "Mortal, how dare you enter my domain," the corpse hissed.

Jaune swallowed hard, but with a deep breath, he came forward. "This is not your temple to discreet with your foul stench! This temple belongs to Meridia!" he spoke with pride.

"Ha! A brave declaration, but do you really expect to kill me, King Anerack, after I have transcended through death to become a powerful Lich!" King Anerack gave Jaune a menacing stare, intending to scare him away, but Jaune kept his ground. "Very well, then I shall kill you and make your corpse one of my servants." At his command, three shades materialized from the corpses that surrounded the platform and converged upon Jaune, though Anerack did not, preferring to watch Jaune be slaughtered by his minions.

Jaune quickly jumped backwards to increase the distance between him and his enemies. "FUS RO DAH!" he shouted, propelling the shades and various littering items backwards through the air and forcing Anerack back into his throne, though he quickly jumped back onto his feet. "So, one so young wields the Thu'um of old? I'm impressed," Anerack commented as he raised his sword and shield.

Jaune gripped his swords tighter, knowing he should not be fooled by this monster's compliments. Behind the king, the shades were rising back up and heading for Jaune. As two drew near, Jaune leapt forward and struck one down and clashed blades with the other before breaking it and slashing the shade down. The remaining one then converged onto him, where he quickly took it out with a block followed by a slash.

Anerack let slip a smirk with his bony jaw and stared menacingly at Jaune, and the glow in his eyes became brighter. Jaune caught his glance, and he fell to the floor, suddenly feeling weak. "How…?" Jaune stuttered out, then it hit him.

"I can kill you with only the glare from my eyes," Anerack revealed. "I don't need a sword to kill you, child, my eyes can drain the life out of any pathetic man." Anerack went over to Jaune and picked him up, where he glared into Jaune's eyes, slowly killing him. Jaune screamed in agony as Anerack sucked the life from him. "Ah, your soul is strong…" Anerack continued sucking Jaune's soul, but suddenly…"FUS RO!" Jaune shouted, propelling Anerack back a few steps and off of him. Jaune quickly leapt forward and plunged both his swords into Anerack's chest, making the lich king screech in pain, but then the undead king grabbed Jaune and threw him off of himself, sending him sprawling down the platform. Anerack withdrew the swords out of himself and broke them in his hands.

"Foolish mortal, no ordinary weapon can kill me," his hissed as it drew closer to Jaune, who scrambled away, hoping to escape this creature, but Anerack merely followed after him. Jaune crawled to his pack, hoping to find a knife in it, but Anerack hoisted him up and plunged his sword into Jaune's stomach, cutting through his armor and dragonscale chainmail. Jaune screamed in pain and Anerack lifted his chin up to his face, draining his life away with his deathly stare.

_"Use the shout of the sun, Jaune Arc!" _spoke Meridia from within his mind.

_'The shout of the sun? I don't know any dragon shouts like that,' _he answered back.

_"You are wrong. This is the first shout you ever learned; you learned this shout when your mother presented you to me nearly 17 years ago. You know the words: Ful Kun Ag."_

_'Ful Kun Ag?' _Jaune thought, as the words formed in his mind. _'Ful Kun Ag. Sol Light Burn,' _he repeated, speaking them in common next. Jaune wrong his hands around Anerack's wrists to hold him in place. "FUL KUN AG!" he shouted. a bright burning ray of light burst from his light and enveloped Anerack, making the lich king screech in agony as his head slowly disintegrated from the burning light. When his head had disappeared, the lich king fell over onto the ground dead. Jaune laid upon the ground screaming in pain, his hands at his wound, which became dyed in his blood.

_"Get up, Jaune Arc, and approach the pedestal." _Meridia ordered him. Jaune slowly rose, groaning in pain with each step. He scooped up his pack and staggered towards the central pedestal, where the beam of light shone upon. When Jaune reached it, a brilliant sword laid within the light. Jaune grabbed at the black hilt and stole the blade from the light. The pommel was made of stainless steel, the crossguard as well, but between the blade and guard was a sun made from steel with the blade extending from it, and there was a fain, yet gentle and warming light emitting from the center of the sun. The blade was a standard one-handed sword's length, and it was made of fine steel, of which Jaune could see his reflection in. As he was marveling at the blade, a scabbard made of black cloth and stainless steel materialized from thin air at his left hip.

Suddenly, the light enveloped Jaune, and he found himself being lifted up through the ceiling and outside—where the rising sun was peaking over the mountains—where he found himself in front of Meridia's statue. He picked himself up and retrieved the beacon from his pack and staggered towards the statue, but before he could reach it, Jaune let out a loud groan and collapsed to the ground, the beacon leaving his hands and rolling across the stone floor. A boot stopped the beacon in its place and a set of hands took it into their hands. Maura approached the fallen Jaune with the beacon and went down next to him. "I won't let you die," she whispered to him as she carefully flipped him over. She applied a healing spell to his wound and it slowly began closing.

"Maura!" Andril called, rushing over to her side, accompanied by Julianna and Driswen behind him. "What happened? Is he alive?"

"He is, but while I've healed his wounds, the damage is still present. We will have to take him back to base so he can make a full recovery. Someone will have to return to Solitude to retrieve the remaining members of Team JNPR."

"I will go," Driswen volunteered, who turned and began the trek to the city while Maura scooped Jaune into her arms. Andril took the beacon and placed it upon the statue altar, where a beam of light shot into the sky for a brief moment.

_"Thank you, Rangers," _Meridia said to them all.

"You almost got Jaune killed with this quest of yours! how could you?!" Maura roared at the statue.

_"You know he would return to me one day, Maura. You knew that he would have to answer to me one day. You swore that he will become my champion if I saved him from the Thalmor."_

Tears welted up in Maura's eyes. "I never wanted Jaune to leave Nirn, but you took him away!" she screamed.

_"I took him away to someplace safe where the Thalmor could not harm, just as you wanted!" _said Meridia with venom in her voice.

Maura's grip on Jaune grew tighter. "Jaune will _never _serve as your champion." She turned and left the altar with Andril and Julianna following behind her.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Driswen reached The Winking Skeever within two hours time. When he entered Team JNP's room, he found Pyrrha and Nora sitting together, a look of worry upon them both, thanks to Jaune's sudden absence. Driswen quickly explained the situation, and after a quick half hour to pack up, Pyrrha and Nora were following him south to the Falkreath region, where Maura and the others were heading. Thanks to Maura's group traveling slowly as to not upset Jaune, they soon joined back up with them within a couple hours. Pyrrha quickly went to Maura's side to look at Jaune, placing her hand upon his cheek. "What happened? Where did he go last night?" she asked her.

"He went to Meridia's Temple to cleanse the evil spirits within it and learn the truth," Maura explained to her.

"The truth? What truth?"

Maura inhaled deeply and exhaled it in a sigh. "The truth about who Jaune really is," she finally said. "I will explain everything once Jaune has fully recovered," she told her before she could ask any more questions. The journey to the Falkreath region took the entire day, and by the time they reached the region west of the city, it was nightfall They turned west and headed off into the forest, and they soon came upon a crystal blue lake surrounded by rock and an equally beautiful waterfall built into a rocky cliffside into a mountain.

"This way," Maura told everyone, directing them towards the waterfall. Everyone followed Maura up a rocky pathway, which came to a halt before the waterfall, which fell into a small trench that lead into the lake. Maura raised her hand and pressed it against the water, which instantly parted at her touch, creating an archway and revealing a stone path that was hidden away. Maura jumped through first, giving the Pyrrha and Nora the confidence to follow behind her along with the rangers. Maura lead them through a short cavern with patches of light from the broken ceiling illuminating their path ahead. At the end of the cavern, they came into an open valley with a three story building set in the middle near a small lake with a series of waterfalls pouring into it. Pyrrha and Nora were stunned at the breath-taking sight for a moment before they followed after the rangers, where they headed inside their headquarters. Maura went straight for a bedroom where she laid the unconscious Jaune upon a bed and began stripping him of his sword, armor, and clothes, save for his pants, and began healing his body all over with healing spells. Julianna came into the room with a tray of medicinal herbs, of which Maura took a clump of one, grounded it up, and poured it into the wound in Jaune's stomach and healed it over as Pyrrha and Nora watched. "This herb will work to counterattack the poison from that lich king's sword, though Jaune lost a good amount of blood in that battle, so I will have to give him a blood transfusion soon."

"Um, his blood type is A, so you know," Pyrrha interjected. She knew his blood type from Beacon's yearly physicals, which are shared among teams for emergencies, such as allergies and blood transfusions.

"Thank you, Ms. Nikos." Julianna brought over a tray of medical tools and syringes, once of which Maura took and stuck into arm and extracted a tube of her own blood. She removed it and injected it into Jaune's arm. "There, that should keep his blood levels fine for a while, since we share the same blood type."

"Nora, will you come with me?" Driswen asked, pulling Nora out of the room, leaving Pyrrha alone with Maura, Julianna, and Jaune.

"Will Jaune be alright?" Pyrrha asked Maura, drawing close to his side and taking his hand into hers.

"He will be fine, but he needs time to recover," Maura answered, pressing her hand against Jaune's forehead, concluding that he has no fever and is merely sleeping.

"Maura, what is going on, really?" Pyrrha begged of her. "Why are the Thalmor hunting down Jaune? Why did he disappear and how is he connected with this Meridia person? What is really going on, and just who are you people?" The questions spilled out of her endlessly, until Maura had to shush her to get her to stop.

"Pyrrha, let me ask you a question now. How is it Jaune is a Dragonborn?" Maura asked her, which perplexed her instead.

"Um…because he was chosen by the Gods?" Pyrrha guessed.

"No, you are incorrect. I want you to think about how is it Jaune is the Dragonborn." Maura came around and sat onto the bed in front of Pyrrha. "The Dragonborn is a mortal of Nirn born with the soul of a dragon, so how is it that Jaune Arc, who is a native of Remnant, is the Dragonborn?" She waited for a response, but received none. "It's because Jaune is not originally from Remnant, but from Nirn." This made Pyrrha gasp. "Yes, I know it must be confusing…" Maura brushed her hand along Jaune's cheek.

"What?…How do you…?" Pyrrha stuttered.

"I will tell you and the others when Jaune wakes up."

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Elsewhere, Nora was meeting with Andril, Driswen, and Enthwos in a room. Andril was seated by a fireplace with his allies around him. Nora sat in a chair opposite him. "We have gathered word that the Thalmor are searching for Esbern, a former Blade, and that Delphine of the Blades is searching for him as well," Andril read off a file before him. "Enthwos, Driswen, I want you two to take Nora to Riften, retrieve Esbern before the Thalmor does, and bring him to Delphine safely." The men nodded and escorted Nora to the door.

The three of them geared up for the journey to Riften with weapons and supplies before leaving. When they returned from the beyond the waterfall, they met with Fox, who was stationed outside. "I shall escort you to the border of the Falkreath region," he told the group before leading them through the forest. They had traveled for perhaps a half hour when Fox halted them. "I hear something coming towards us," he alerted them. He motioned them to stay put and disappeared into the trees, towards where the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary was located. A few minutes later, he returned with a wounded Ren in his arms. Nora came running over to Ren's side, who was mildly hurt. Fox carried him over to the others and laid him down onto a bed of soft grass and began feeling up his body. "He's hurt, but it's just some scratches, bumps, and a few wounds," Fox concluded. Driswen applied a healing spell to the wounds, which healed over. "He will wake up soon."

"Should we take him with us?" Enthwos asked.

"We should. This boy knows the underground of Riften well, so he would be able to help you on your quest." Enthwos slung Ren over his shoulder and the group headed off again, now with Nora staying close to Enthwos to be close to Ren. '_Where have you been, Ren?' _she wondered as she stared at his sleeping face.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

While the group was heading towards Riften, Pyrrha stayed by Jaune's bedside while Maura tended to him from time to time. Maura quickly noticed that Pyrrha refused to leave Jaune's side, so she often had Julianna bring meals for Pyrrha to eat. Later that night, Maura would discover Pyrrha asleep in her chair with her body spread across Jaune's bed, to which she covered her body with a blanket to keep her warm.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

That same night, the Rangers and Nora bedded down for the night along the river near the Valtheim Towers. Enthwos kept watch with his giant broadsword ready for trouble, Driswen started a fire to keep everyone warm, and Nora laid beside the unconscious Ren to keep him company, with her soon fell asleep resting on Ren's stomach. Ren eventually came to in the middle of the night. "Ah, finally awake," Enthwos noted. "You best go back to sleep, for we have a long day ahead of us." Ren nodded and laid back down to sleep, his hand ruffling up Nora's hair before he drifted off to sleep.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

The next day, the group awakened to have a quick breakfast, of which Ren helped cooked after prying Nora off him when she found him awake, then they headed for Riften, of which Driswen briefly explained their quest along the way. "Ren, where have you been all this time?" Nora eventually asked her best friend.

Ren swallowed hard and was silent for a moment before answering. "I have been away for a while trying to do something personal. I was trying to fix my mistakes…" Ren explained.

"Ren, what sort of mistakes are you talking about?" Nora asked, stepping in front of him.

"Nora, do you remember when we were kids back in the orphanage, back when I…when I killed Derek Hansen?" Ren choked out.

Nora nodded. "I doubt I could ever forget that day. You saved both our lives and freed all of the children from that awful man," she answered with a smile.

"But I killed him! I dyed my hands in blood that day, and that blood would never truly disappear!…I thought if I killed some of the bad people in Skyrim that have been hurting the innocent, I could finally erase the blood off my hands, but in the end, the Dark Brotherhood tricked me into killing off contracts, a few of which were innocent people…"

"And then you tried escaping their ranks, did you not?" Driswen called to him from the front of the group.

"I did, but they attacked me as I was escaping and I got hurt, and I remember collapsing near a river, and then I was with all of you."

"You thought that killing evil people would erase the sins of your past?" Driswen asked, to which Ren answered yes. "Ren, you can never correct your past, that is why you must focus on the present and the future. Look at Nora, she loves you even despite what you've done."

Nora gave Ren a big smile and pulled him into a hug. "I don't care about what you and I did in the past," she whispered to him. "When you disappeared, I was so worried about you, and so were Jaune and Pyrrha…" Ren pulled her close to himself and burrowed his face into her shoulder. The Rangers stopped to allow the two have their moment before they broke apart and they continued on, now with Nora skipping along while holding Ren's hand, forcing him to keep up to speed.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

The group arrived at Riften near the end of the day and quickly made their way into the Ratway. They worked their way down to the Ragged Flagon with little trouble given that the muggers and thieves were too smart to rob a group such as theirs. Down in the Ragged Flagon, they met with Vekel the Man. "What do you guys want?" he whispered when the group approached him.

"We are looking for someone named Esbern and learned that he may be hiding somewhere within the Ratway down here," Driswen quickly explained.

"Esbern…Esbern…" Vekel muttered. "I'm sorry, I know no one of that name."

"Please, we must find him," Ren insisted. "He is a dear friend of ours and we fear his life is in danger!"

Vekel took a silent look at the young man and let out a sigh. "Maybe old age is making me sentimental, but I suppose I will tell you. He's hiding down in the Ratway Warrens, but be warned, there are a number of lowlifes, vagrants, and muggers who are more willing to attack fellows such as yourselves for the little they may gain in doing so." Vekel pointed off towards a doorway on one side of the Ragged Flagon. "The Warrens are located down there. I pray you find your friend in time, as a few Thalmor soldiers passed through there a while ago." Ren nodded, said his thanks, and the group headed down into the Ratway Warrens.

Down within the lower levels of the Ratway, the group moved quietly as to avoid any inhabitants, though the few they met, Enthwos made short work of with his broadsword. They soon came upon the three Thalmor soldiers that were currently searching for Esbern, and they noticed the group as well. Everyone drew their weapons and the Thalmor closest to the group let loose a storm of lightning, to which Nora jumped ahead to take the weight of, charging her up thanks to her Semblance. Unfazed from the lightning, she dashed forward with her Magnhild raised and smashed the soldier into a nearby wall, making him leave a large blood splatter upon it when he fell. Driswen struck out a hand and one soldier had his sword forced to the ground, allowing Ren to dash forward and strike at the Thalmor's joints with his daggers. Enthwos let out a thundering roar, scaring the last Thalmor briefly and allowing the brute to quickly decapitate him. After a quick cleaning of their weapons, they moved deeper within the twisting tunnels of the Warrens, hoping that they find Esbern before any Thalmor do.

They soon arrived upon a small area that was man-made, with wooden walls set up to form some kind of small home anchored into a corner. Nora went ahead and knocked upon the door three times in rapid succession. "What do you want?" called a voice from inside.

"Are you Esbern?" Nora asked.

"Sorry, you have the wrong person."

Driswen stepped forward now. "Esbern, we are friends of Delphine and the Dragonborn. We've come to get you out of here before the Thalmor find you," he explained. There was silence and then the door opened a crack.

"You know Delphine?" Esbern asked, which Driswen responded with a nod. "Well, I suppose I can trust you all. Better than waiting for the Thalmor to come for me, and I know they wouldn't be happy to see me either." Esbern quickly back inside his little makeshift hut and gathered a few things into a bag then exited the place. "Let's head to Delphine as soon as possible."

The journey to the surface proved to be difficult, as Thalmor soldiers and mages began flooding the Ratway's tunnels, and they were determined to stop Esbern from escaping, though they were no match for the group, with Ren and Driswen leading in magic and Nora and Enthwos with brawn. They soon returned to the surface, where they quickly exited Riften and headed west, but unbeknownst to anyone of the group, a pair of yellow eyes was watching them from the Riften gates.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

It was nightfall by the time the group arrived at Riverwood. When they went into the Sleeping Giant Inn, Delphine was shocked to find Esbern alive. She quickly took them all down into the cellar where she embraced Esbern in a hug. "It's wonderful to see you again, Esbern," she told him. "I had thought the Thalmor captured you long ago."

"Well, they wish they had, but I've been traveling around to remain in hiding. I don't know how the Thalmor or this group got wind that I was hiding in Riften though," Esbern told her.

Delphine turned to the group. "I must thank you all for bringing Esbern to me, but where is Jaune Arc?" she asked them.

"Jaune Arc was injured shortly after the Thalmor Embassy and we took him to our headquarters for him to recover," Driswen explained. "He is alive, don't worry, but we came in his place to locate and retrieve Esbern in his stead."

"Thank the Divines. When can we expect him to return? We have more work to do."

"Jaune Arc should make a full recovery within a few days or so. What sort of work do you have planned?"

"Nothing for you Rangers to know about," Delphine hissed. She then turned to Ren and Nora. "When Jaune Arc has recovered, I want him to return to me as soon as possible." Everyone returned upstairs, where Delphine went back to work, Esbern made himself comfortable at the inn, and the group began the trek back to the Ranger's Headquarters, unaware that a Khajiit was watching them in hiding.

"So, a couple Blades are still alive, eh?" Shavari told herself. "I will have to relay this information back to the Thalmor once I take care of the Dragonborn." She followed after the group, taking care to stay behind to avoid detection.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Night blanketed across the sky by the time the group returned to headquarters. When Pyrrha learned that Ren was among them, she left Jaune's side to go find Ren, whom she embraced in a hug upon seeing. The reunion was short lived, however, for Maura came out to notify everyone that Jaune was waking up. Everyone—with Pyrrha leading them—rushed to his room and crowded around his bed, watching him attentively.

Jaune stirred a little in his sleep, then again, followed by a groan. His eyes squinted a little, then slowly opened then squinted again. Finally, he opened them fully and was greeted with a flash of red hair before him pulling him into a tight hug. Still groggy, Jaune only recognized Pyrrha thanks to her red hair. His arms went around her and pulled her close as he observed everyone else. He recognized his team, Maura, and Andril, and he soon picked up the other Rangers as well. "What happened?" he managed to get out.

"A lot," Maura answered for him, sitting herself down onto the bed. "You collapsed shortly after your battle with the lich king within Meridia's Temple, but I found you and brought you here so I can tend to your injuries." She turned to everyone now. "Can everyone leave, except for Team JNPR?" Everyone obeyed, leaving the five of them alone. Maura took a deep breath and turned to Jaune.

"Jaune, I need to tell you something extremely important…" she began.

"Maura, can't it wait for Jaune to fully recover?" Pyrrha interjected.

"Pyrrha, I'm sorry…I need…I need to tell him now…" Another deep breath. "…Jaune, have you ever wondered how you are the Dragonborn?"

"Uh…what do you mean?" Jaune mumbled, now fully awakening.

"Only a native of Nirn could be a Dragonborn, yet you, a native of Remnant, are a Dragonborn and are born with the soul of a dragon…"

"That does raise a curious question," Ren noted.

"Where are we going with this?" Jaune questioned.

"Jaune, you are not originally from Remnant, you are a native of Skyrim, from Cyrodiil, actually." This shocked everyone, Jaune most of all. "Jaune…Gods, Jaune isn't even your real name. Jaune, your real name is Etrius Heflaire…"

"Etrius…Heflaire…?" Jaune repeated. "…My…real name…"

"Jaune…Your real name…IS SO COOL!" Nora screeched. Everyone stared at her, until her face shrunk. "Sorry about that. It's just that it's a really cool name."

Maura smiled a little at Nora's comment. "Yes, it is a nice name. Your father was the one who suggested it, and I thought it was a wonderful name to give you…"

"My father…you mean Gris Arc…Wait…" Jaune stuttered.

Maura gave a slow nod. "Jaune…I am your mother, Maura Heflaire, and I was married to your father—your real father—Johnlus Heflaire." Jaune's breathing suddenly quickened up. "When you were barely a year ago, our hometown was sacked by Thalmor agents who were searching for you, wanting to kill you. Johnlus was killed by a Thalmor while I escaped with you in my arms, but I was hurt and wouldn't make it much further. I pleaded to the Divines above to help me, and Meridia answered. She said that she would save you from the Thalmor if I promised one day that you would serve as her champion. I was desperate to save you, my only son, so I agreed. Meridia took you away from Nirn to Remnant, far from the reach of the Thalmor. I only know that Meridia gave you to a man called Ozpin, who gifted you to the Arc family."

Everyone could only stare in shock and astonishment at Maura revealing all of this, but it was Jaune who was taking it worse; his entire body was shaking, his breathing was erratic, and he was sweating like mad. Pyrrha placed her hand upon his shoulder, but just as she touched him, Jaune bolted from his bed and ran out of the room without a word. Pyrrha went after him, shooting a quick "I'll handle this" to the others before she dashed after Jaune. After exiting the room, she spied Jaune running out the front doors, so she followed after him outside, where he ran to the base of the lake and collapsed to his knees. When Pyrrha drew close, she could hear him sobbing. She quickly went to him and pulled him into a hug, which he accepted as he continued sobbing into her shoulder.

"Jaune, maybe Maura was lying about what she said," she suggested, hoping to ease the pain.

"No…It's true…All of it is true…I can feel it in my heart somehow…" he whimpered. "…Everything I've known my whole life…has been a lie…"

Pyrrha tightened her embrace on him. "But what about your Aura? I unlocked your Aura back in the Emerald Forest. If you were never a native of Remnant to begin with, then you wouldn't have Aura," she argued.

"No…you mistook my dragon soul for Aura that day…I remember…I remember when you pumped your Aura into my body to unlock mine, your Aura reacted with my dragon soul, and I glowed with the power of the Thu'um and I saw a vision of a dragon for a brief moment; that bit actually makes sense now given all that's happened…"

Pyrrha fell silent, unable to say any more to help the situation, so she just hugged him tighter, running her hand through his hair. "I know this must be difficult for you, Jaune, but you'll get through this, I know you will…" She pulled away to stare directly at him and took his hand in hers. "…I don't care if you're a native of Remnant or Nirn, have Aura or not, whether you're Jaune Arc or Etrius Heflaire, you're still my friend and my partner, and I will stay by your side until the end."

"But, why?" he questioned.

_'Tell him the truth. Tell him how much you love him,' _her mind told herself. "Because I care about you a lot, Jaune. You have been, and always shall be Jaune Arc, Huntsman and leader of Team JNPR," she told him, making him smile.

"Thank you, Pyrrha," he told her before embracing her in another hug.

Nearby, Shavari was hiding behind a boulder, waiting for a chance to attack Jaune Arc. She counted her blessings a moment ago when he emerged from the headquarters, but soon found herself cursing the Gods above when Pyrrha Nikos joined with him. Fearing her chance was about to slip away, she chose to confront the two instead. She leapt from her hiding place and charged at the embracing Jaune and Pyrrha and fired a lightning bolt at the two. Pyrrha reacted first and shoved Jaune away, allowing her to take the full attack, sending her sprawling across the ground.

"PYRRHA!" Jaune shouted before turning his attention to the assassin. He fired off rays of lightning from his fingers, which Shavari danced and dodged about as she drew closer to Jaune with an Elven dagger in hand. She swiped at Jaune's head a few times, and each swing he dodged to avoid. "ZUN!" he shouted, forcing the dagger to fly from her hands and surprising her, allowing him to leap upon her, knocking them both to the ground. Jaune threw in a few punches into her face before she clawed at his shoulder, shredding his shirt and drawing blood, making him cry out and allowing her to kick him off. Shavari charged up a spike of ice into her hand and aimed at Jaune.

Pyrrha quickly recovered and tossed a firebolt at Shavari, making her scream and drop the ice spike. She fired off a few more firebolts, which Shavari dodged and got close to Pyrrha, grabbing her by the throat. "I'll finish you first real quick," Shavari hissed as she bared her claws. With her polarity, Pyrrha willed the fallen dagger to fly into her hand, which she used to quickly ram through Shavari's neck with the hilt poking from under her chin. Shavari had no idea of what just happened before she instantly died, releasing Pyrrha and falling to the ground with a blood puddle forming under her.

Andril, Maura, Ren, and Nora burst from the entrance and sprinted to Jaune and Pyrrha's side, where Maura healed up Jaune and Pyrrha's minor wounds. Ren inspected Shavari's body and found a note detailing her orders to kill Jaune. On the back of the note, he found: _"Notify the Thalmor that Blades are hiding at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood."_ "It seems our friend has discovered Delphine's secret base. However, it looks like she hasn't sent this report yet," he notified everyone.

"Either way, I believe Jaune Arc should continue his mission with Delphine soon and get them to safety somewhere else just to be safe," Andril concluded. He turned to Jaune. "I want you and your team to return to Riverwood starting tomorrow."

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

In the city of Vale, Ozpin sat alone in his office sipping his coffee while staring off into a crystal ball filled with a dense purple smoke that was sitting on his desk. Every moment or so, he'd give the crystal ball a hum and continue staring at it until a voice suddenly emerged from it.

"The Dragonborn has discovered the truth about himself," said the distorted voice of Paarthurnax within the crystal ball, his mighty face now appearing within it.

"I see, and I suppose he does not believe it at all? Ozpin asked the mighty dragon.

"He seems to have accepted it, but he he is hurting inside from it all being revealed to him so suddenly."

Ozpin rubbed his chin for a brief second. "I suppose it would be best if we return Jaune Arc to Remnant for a brief time so he can learn the truth from his family," he suggested.

"Perhaps that would be the best decision to make. We shall bring him back to your world once he learns of his destiny from Alduin's Wall." The face of Paarthurnax disappeared and the dense smoke returned to it. Ozpin let out a loud hum and sipped it coffee before he took the crystal ball and carefully placed it inside a drawer in his desk.

**CHAPTER END**

Next chapter: **Alduin's Wall and a Visit Home.**

Jaune will learn of his destiny to slay Alduin before the monster can consume the world, but given what Maura has told him, he finds himself questioning everything he grew up knowing. Unsure of what was the truth and what were lies, Jaune will need to speak to the Arcs for truthful answers.


End file.
